We synthesized mesoporouscarbon from pre-cross-linked lignin gel impregnated with a surfactant as the pore-forming agent, and then activated the carbon through physical and chemical methods to obtain activatedmesoporouscarbon. The activatedmesoporouscarbons exhibited 1.5- to 6-fold increases in porosity with a maximum BET specific surface area of 1148 m2/g and a pore volume of 1.0 cm3/g. Slow physical activation helped retain dominant mesoporosity; however, aggressive chemical activation caused some loss of the mesopore volume fraction. Plots of cyclic voltammetric data with the capacitor electrode made from these carbons showed an almost rectangular curve depicting the behavior of ideal double-layer capacitance. Although the pristine mesoporouscarbon exhibited the same range of surface-area-based capacitance as that of other known carbon-based supercapacitors, activation decreased the surface-area-based specific capacitance and increased the gravimetric-specific capacitance of the mesoporouscarbons. Surface activation lowered bulk density and electrical conductivity. Warburg impedance as a vertical tail in the lower frequency domain of Nyquist plots supported good supercapacitor behavior for the activatedmesoporouscarbons. Our work demonstrated that biomass-derived mesoporouscarbon materials continue to show potential for use in specific electrochemical applications.

A conductive mesoporouscarbon composite comprising conductive carbon nanoparticles contained within a mesoporouscarbon matrix, wherein the conductive mesoporouscarbon composite possesses at least a portion of mesopores having a pore size of at least 10 nm and up to 50 nm, and wherein the mesopores are either within the mesoporouscarbon matrix, or are spacings delineated by surfaces of said conductive carbon nanoparticles when said conductive carbon nanoparticles are fused with each other, or both. Methods for producing the above-described composite, devices incorporating them (e.g., lithium batteries), and methods of using them, are also described.

Mesoporouscarbon frameworks were synthesized using the soft-template method. Ca(BH(4))(2) was incorporated into activatedmesoporouscarbon by the incipient wetness method. The activation of mesoporouscarbon was necessary to optimize the surface area and pore size. Thermal programmed absorption measurements showed that the confinement of this borohydride into carbon nanoscaffolds improved its reversible capacity (relative to the reactive portion) and performance of hydrogen storage compared to unsupported borohydride. Hydrogen release from the supported hydride started at a temperature as low as 100 °C and the dehydrogenation rate was fast compared to the bulk borohydride. In addition, the hydrogen pressure necessary to regenerate the borohydride from the dehydrogenation products was reduced. PMID:22948563

Activatedcarbons are commercially produced by steam or CO{sub 2} activation of coal, coconut shell and so on. In general the carbons obtained give pores with a broad range of distribution. The objective of this study was to prepare activatedcarbons from coal by use of various organometallic compounds. The carbons were evaluated for pore size by nitrogen adsorption experiments.

The invention is directed to a method for fabricating a mesoporouscarbon material, the method comprising subjecting a precursor composition to a curing step followed by a carbonization step, the precursor composition comprising: (i) a templating component comprised of a block copolymer, (ii) a phenolic compound or material, (iii) a crosslinkable aldehyde component, and (iv) at least 0.5 M concentration of a strong acid having a pKa of or less than -2, wherein said carbonization step comprises heating the precursor composition at a carbonizing temperature for sufficient time to convert the precursor composition to a mesoporouscarbon material. The invention is also directed to a mesoporouscarbon material having an improved thermal stability, preferably produced according to the above method.

The invention is directed to a method for fabricating a mesoporouscarbon material, the method comprising subjecting a precursor composition to a curing step followed by a carbonization step, the precursor composition comprising: (i) a templating component comprised of a block copolymer, (ii) a phenolic compound or material, (iii) a crosslinkable aldehyde component, and (iv) at least 0.5 M concentration of a strong acid having a pKa of or less than -2, wherein said carbonization step comprises heating the precursor composition at a carbonizing temperature for sufficient time to convert the precursor composition to a mesoporouscarbon material. The invention is also directed to a mesoporouscarbon material having an improved thermal stability, preferably produced according to the above method.

Creating highly active and stable metal catalysts is a persistent goal in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. However, a real catalyst can rarely achieve both of these qualities simultaneously due to limitations in the design of the active site and support. One method to circumvent this problem is to fabricate firmly attached metal species onto the voids of a mesoporous support formed simultaneously. In this study, we developed a new type of ruthenium catalyst that was firmly confined by ordered mesoporouscarbons through the fabrication of a cubic Ia3d chitosan-ruthenium-silica mesophase before pyrolysis and silica removal. This facile method generates fine ruthenium nanoparticles (ca. 1.7 nm) that are homogeneously dispersed on a mesoporous carbonaceous framework. This ruthenium catalyst can be recycled 22 times without any loss of reactivity, showing the highest stability of any metal catalysts; this catalyst displays a high activity (23.3 mol(LA)h(-1)g(metal)(-1)) during the catalytic hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) when the metal loading is 6.1 wt%. Even at an ultralow loading (0.3 wt%), this catalyst still outperforms the most active known Ru/C catalyst. This work reveals new possibilities for designing and fabricating highly stable and active metal catalysts by creating metal sites and mesoporous supports simultaneously. PMID:24687047

Creating highly active and stable metal catalysts is a persistent goal in the field of heterogeneous catalysis. However, a real catalyst can rarely achieve both of these qualities simultaneously due to limitations in the design of the active site and support. One method to circumvent this problem is to fabricate firmly attached metal species onto the voids of a mesoporous support formed simultaneously. In this study, we developed a new type of ruthenium catalyst that was firmly confined by ordered mesoporouscarbons through the fabrication of a cubic Ia3d chitosan-ruthenium-silica mesophase before pyrolysis and silica removal. This facile method generates fine ruthenium nanoparticles (ca. 1.7 nm) that are homogeneously dispersed on a mesoporous carbonaceous framework. This ruthenium catalyst can be recycled 22 times without any loss of reactivity, showing the highest stability of any metal catalysts; this catalyst displays a high activity (23.3 molLAh−1gmetal−1) during the catalytic hydrogenation of levulinic acid (LA) when the metal loading is 6.1 wt%. Even at an ultralow loading (0.3 wt%), this catalyst still outperforms the most active known Ru/C catalyst. This work reveals new possibilities for designing and fabricating highly stable and active metal catalysts by creating metal sites and mesoporous supports simultaneously. PMID:24687047

Porous carbon membranes, which generally show improved chemical and thermal stability compared to polymer membranes, have been used in gas separations for many years. In this work, we show that the post-synthesis ammonia treatment of porous carbon at elevated temperature can improve the permeance and selectivity of these membranes for the separation of carbon dioxide and hydrocarbons from permanent gases. Hierarchically structured porous carbon membranes were exposed to ammonia gas at temperatures ranging from 850 C to 950 C for up to 10 min and the N{sub 2}, CO{sub 2}, and C{sub 3}H{sub 6} permeances were measured for these different membranes. Higher treatment temperatures and longer exposure times resulted in higher gas permeance values. In addition, CO{sub 2}/N{sub 2} and C{sub 3}H{sub 6}/N{sub 2} selectivities increased by a factor of 2 as the treatment temperature and time increased up to a temperature and time of 900 C, 10 min. Higher temperatures showed increased permeance but decreased selectivity indicating excess pore activation. Nitrogen adsorption measurements show that the ammonia treatment increased the porosity of the membrane while elemental analysis revealed the presence of nitrogen-containing surface functionalities in the treated carbon membranes. Thus, ammonia treatment at high temperature provides a controlled method to introduce both added microporosity and surface functionality to enhance gas separations performance of porous carbon membranes.

In our quest to make various chemical processes sustainable, the development of facile synthetic routes and inexpensive catalysts can play a central role. Herein we report the synthesis of monodisperse, polyaniline (PANI)-derived mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles (PAMCs) that can serve as efficient metal-free electrocatalysts for the hydrogen peroxide reduction reaction (HPRR) as well as the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells. The materials are synthesized by polymerization of aniline with the aid of (NH4)2S2O8 as oxidant and colloidal silica nanoparticles as templates, then carbonization of the resulting PANI/silica composite material at different high temperatures, and finally removal of the silica templates from the carbonized products. The PAMC materials that are synthesized under optimized synthetic conditions possess monodisperse mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles with an average size of 128 ± 12 nm and an average pore size of ca. 12 nm. Compared with Co3O4, a commonly used electrocatalyst for HPRR, these materials show much better catalytic activity for this reaction. In addition, unlike Co3O4, the PAMCs remain relatively stable during the reaction, under both basic and acidic conditions. The nanoparticles also show good electrocatalytic activity toward ORR. Based on the experimental results, PAMCs' excellent electrocatalytic activity is attributed partly to their heteroatom dopants and/or intrinsic defect sites created by vacancies in their structures and partly to their high porosity and surface area. The reported synthetic method is equally applicable to other polymeric precursors (e.g., polypyrrole (PPY)), which also produces monodisperse, mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles in the same way. The resulting materials are potentially useful not only for electrocatalysis of HPRR and ORR in fuel cells but also for other applications where high surface area, small sized, nanostructured carbon materials are generally useful for (e.g., adsorption

A functionalized mesoporouscarbon composition comprising a mesoporouscarbon scaffold having mesopores in which polyvinyl polymer grafts are covalently attached, wherein said mesopores have a size of at least 2 nm and up to 50 nm. Also described is a method for producing the functionalized mesoporous composition, wherein a reaction medium comprising a precursor mesoporouscarbon, vinyl monomer, initiator, and solvent is subjected to sonication of sufficient power to result in grafting and polymerization of the vinyl monomer into mesopores of the precursor mesoporouscarbon. Also described are methods for using the functionalized mesoporouscarbon, particularly in extracting metal ions from metal-containing solutions.

The high cost of the platinum-based cathode catalysts for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) has impeded the widespread application of polymer electrolyte fuel cells. We report on a new family of non-precious metal catalysts based on ordered mesoporous porphyrinic carbons (M-OMPC; M = Fe, Co, or FeCo) with high surface areas and tunable pore structures, which were prepared by nanocasting mesoporous silica templates with metalloporphyrin precursors. The FeCo-OMPC catalyst exhibited an excellent ORR activity in an acidic medium, higher than other non-precious metal catalysts. It showed higher kinetic current at 0.9 V than Pt/C catalysts, as well as superior long-term durability and MeOH-tolerance. Density functional theory calculations in combination with extended X-ray absorption fine structure analysis revealed a weakening of the interaction between oxygen atom and FeCo-OMPC compared to Pt/C. This effect and high surface area of FeCo-OMPC appear responsible for its significantly high ORR activity. PMID:24056308

The high cost of Pt-based membrane electrode assemblies (MEAs) is a critical hurdle for the commercialization of polymer electrolyte fuel cells (PEFCs). Recently, non-precious metal-based catalysts (NPMCs) have demonstrated much enhanced activity but their oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) activity is still inferior to that of Pt-based catalysts resulting in a much thicker electrode in the MEA. For the reduction of mass transport and ohmic overpotential we adopted a new concept of catalyst that combines an ultra-low amount of Pt nanoclusters with metal–nitrogen (M–Nx) doped ordered mesoporous porphyrinic carbon (FeCo–OMPC(L)). The 5 wt% Pt/FeCo–OMPC(L) showed a 2-fold enhancement in activities comparedmore » to a higher loading of Pt. Our experimental results supported by first-principles calculations indicate that a trace amount of Pt nanoclusters on FeCo–OMPC(L) significantly enhances the ORR activity due to their electronic effect as well as geometric effect from the reduced active sites. Finally, in terms of fuel cell commercialization, this class of catalysts is a promising candidate due to the limited use of Pt in the MEA.« less

A mesoporous material prepared by polymerizing a resorcinol/formaldehyde system from an aqueous solution containing resorcinol, formaldehyde and a surfactant and optionally pyrolyzing the polymer to form a primarily carbonaceous solid. The material has an average pore size between 4 and 75 nm and is suitable for use in liquid-phase surface limited applications, including sorbent, catalytic, and electrical applications.

Xenobiotic compounds are used in considerable quantities in leather industries besides natural organic and inorganic compounds. These compounds resist biological degradation and thus they remain in the treated wastewater in the unaltered molecular configurations. Immobilization of organisms in carrier matrices protects them from shock load application and from the toxicity of chemicals in bulk liquid phase. Mesoporousactivatedcarbon (MAC) has been considered in the present study as the carrier matrix for the immobilization of Bacillus sp. isolated from Effluent Treatment Plant (ETP) employed for the treatment of wastewater containing sulphonated phenolic (SP) compounds. Temperature, pH, concentration, particle size and mass of MAC were observed to influence the immobilization behavior of Bacillus sp. The percentage immobilization of Bacillus sp. was the maximum at pH 7.0, temperature 20 °C and at particle size 300 μm. Enthalpy, free energy and entropy of immobilization were -46.9 kJ mol(-1), -1.19 kJ mol(-1) and -161.36 JK(-1)mol(-1) respectively at pH 7.0, temperature 20 °C and particle size 300 μm. Higher values of ΔH(0) indicate the firm bonding of the Bacillus sp. in MAC. Degradation of aqueous sulphonated phenolic compound by Bacillus sp. immobilized in MAC followed pseudo first order rate kinetics with rate constant 1.12 × 10(-2) min(-1). PMID:25427481

Clove oil and turmeric oil were absorbed by mesoporouscarbon. The absorption ratio of mesoporouscarbon to volatile oil was optimized with the eugenol yield and curcumol yield as criteria Curing powder was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and differential scanning calorietry (DSC). The effects of mesoporouscarbon on dissolution in vitro and thermal stability of active components were studied. They reached high adsorption rate when the absorption ratio of mesoporouscarbon to volatile oil was 1:1. When volatile oil was absorbed, dissolution rate of active components had a little improvement and their thermal stability improved after volatile oil was absorbed by the loss rate decreasing more than 50%. Absorbing herbal volatile oil with mesoporouscarbon deserves further studying. PMID:25850263

Mesoporous metal carbonate structures are formed by providing a solution containing a non-ionic surfactant and a calcium acetate salt, adding sufficient base to react with the acidic byproducts to be formed by the addition of carbon dioxide, and adding carbon dioxide, thereby forming a mesoporous metal carbonate structure containing the metal from said metal salt.

The preparation, characterization, and performance evaluation of an innovative mesoporousactivatedcarbon (C-XHIT) were conducted in this study. Comparative evaluation with commercial carbons (C-PS and C-ZJ15) and long-term performance evaluation of C-XHIT were conducted in small-scale system-A (S-A) and pilot-scale system-B (S-B-1 and S-B-2 in series), respectively, for treating water from Songhua River. The cumulative uptake of micropollutants varied with KBV (water volume fed to columns divided by the mass of carbons, m(3) H2O/kg carbon) was employed in the performance evaluation. The results identified that mesoporous and microporous volumes were simultaneously well-developed in C-XHIT. Higher mesoporosity (63.94 %) and average pore width (37.91 Å) of C-XHIT ensured a higher adsorption capacity for humic acid compared to C-PS and C-ZJ15. When the KBV of S-A reached 12.58 m(3) H2O/kg carbon, cumulative uptake of organic pollutants achieved by C-XHIT increased by 32.82 and 156.29 % for DOC (QC) and 22.53 and 112.48 % for UV254 (QUV) compared to C-PS and C-ZJ15, respectively; in contrast, the adsorption capacity of NH4 (+)-N did not improve significantly. C-XHIT achieved high average removal efficiencies for DOC (77.43 ± 16.54 %) and UV254 (83.18 ± 13.88 %) in S-B over 253 days of operation (KBV = 62 m(3) H2O/kg carbon). Adsorption dominated the removal of DOC and UV254 in the initial phases of KBV (0-15 m(3) H2O/kg carbon), and simultaneous biodegradation and adsorption were identified as the mechanisms for organic pollutant uptake at KBV above 25 m(3) H2O/kg carbon. The average rates contributed by S-B-1 and S-B-2 for QC and QUV were approximately 0.75 and 0.25, respectively. Good linear and exponential correlations were observed between S-A and S-B in terms of QC and QUV obtained by C-XHIT, respectively, for the same KBV ranges, indicating a rapid and cost-saving evaluation method. The linear correlation between mesoporosity and QC

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices.

Activatedmesoporouscarbon nanofibers (AMCNFs) are synthesized by a sequential process of electrospinning, water etching-assisted templating, and acid treatment. Their morphologies, crystal structures, melting behavior, chemical bonding states, surface properties, and electrochemical performance are investigated for three different polyacrylonitrile (PAN) to polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) weight ratios - PAN : PVP = 8 : 2, 7 : 3, and 6 : 4. Compared to other samples, the AMCNFs with an optimum weight ratio of 6 : 4 show the highest specific surface area of 692 m(2) g(-1), a high volume percentage of mesopores of 43.9%, and an increased amount of carboxyl groups (10.5%). This results in a high specific capacitance of 207 F g(-1), a high-rate capability with a capacitance retention of 93%, a high energy density of 24.8-23.1 W h kg(-1), and an excellent cycling durability of up to 3000 cycles. The electrochemical performance improvement can be explained by the combined effect of the high surface area relative to the increased electrical double-layers, the high volume fraction of mesopores relative to shorter diffusion routes and low resistance pathways for ions, and the increased amount of carboxyl groups on the CNF surface relative to enhanced wettability. PMID:26866359

Extremely high specific surface area mesoporouscarbon-supported Pd nanoparticle catalysts were prepared with both impregnation and polyol-based sol methods. The silica template used for the synthesis of mesoporouscarbon was removed by both NaOH and HF etching. Pd/mesoporouscarbon catalysts synthesized with the impregnation method has as high specific surface area as 2250 m2/g. In case of NaOH-etched impregnated samples, the turnover frequency of cyclohexene hydrogenation to cyclohexane at 313 K was obtained ~ 14 molecules • site- 1 • s- 1. The specific surface area of HF-etched samples was higher compared to NaOH-etched samples. However, catalytic activity was ~ 3-6 times higher on NaOH-etched samples compared to HF-etched samples, which can be attributed to the presence of sodium and surface hydroxylgroups of the catalysts etched with NaOH solution.

Nitrogen-doped carbon (N-C) catalysts can potentially offer high ORR (oxygen reduction reaction) electrocatalytic activity comparable to Pt/C catalysts. Here, we establish a correlation between N-species (pyridinic-N and graphitic-N) with high ORR activity and a key role for Fe in their preparation. N-C catalysts are prepared from okara (a cheap, nitrogen-rich, biomass precursor) using a facile synthesis method with inclusion of FeCl3 at different steps of synthesis. Mesoporous N-C catalyst is produced that had ORR activity comparable to that of commercial Pt/C catalyst. High ORR-activity N-C results from the presence of FeCl3 at a specific step during synthesis. Detailed investigation by XPS reveals that increased levels of pyridinic-N and graphitic-N arose from pyridinic-N-oxide conversion in the presence of Fe. We conclude that transforming inert N species to active N species underlies the increase in active catalytic sites on the carbon surface and offers a means to improve N-C catalyst performance.

Mesoporousactivatedcarbon has been prepared from coconut coir dust as support for adsorption of some model dye molecules from aqueous solutions. The methylene blue (MB) and remazol yellow (RY) molecules were chosen for study of the adsorption capacity of cationic and anionic dyes onto prepared activatedcarbon. The adsorption kinetics was studied with the Lagergren first- and pseudo-second-order kinetic models as well as the intraparticle diffusion model. The results for both dyes suggested a multimechanism sorption process. The adsorption mechanisms in the systems dyes/AC follow pseudo-second-order kinetics with a significant contribution of intraparticle diffusion. The samples simultaneously present acidic and basic sites able to act as anchoring sites for basic and acidic dyes, respectively. Calorimetric studies reveal that dyes/AC interaction forces are correlated with the pH of the solution, which can be related to the charge distribution on the AC surface. These AC samples also exhibited very short equilibrium times for the adsorption of both dyes, which is an economically favorable requisite for the activatedcarbon described in this work, in addition to the local abundance of the raw material. PMID:16497318

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices. PMID:25650133

Organic batteries free of toxic metal species could lead to a new generation of consumer energy storage devices that are safe and environmentally benign. However, the conventional organic electrodes remain problematic because of their structural instability, slow ion-diffusion dynamics, and poor electrical conductivity. Here, we report on the development of a redox-active, crystalline, mesoporous covalent organic framework (COF) on carbon nanotubes for use as electrodes; the electrode stability is enhanced by the covalent network, the ion transport is facilitated by the open meso-channels, and the electron conductivity is boosted by the carbon nanotube wires. These effects work synergistically for the storage of energy and provide lithium-ion batteries with high efficiency, robust cycle stability, and high rate capability. Our results suggest that redox-active COFs on conducting carbons could serve as a unique platform for energy storage and may facilitate the design of new organic electrodes for high-performance and environmentally benign battery devices. PMID:25650133

Metal-free ordered mesoporouscarbons were demonstrated to be robust catalysts for direct dehydrogenation of propane to propylene, in the absence of any auxiliary steam, exhibiting high activity and selectivity, as well as long catalytic stability, in comparison with nanostructured carbons. PMID:21687889

Well-aligned carbon nanotubes (CNTs) were grown on mesoporous silica films by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). Ethylene was used as the carbon source and CVD was performed at 1023 K and atmospheric pressure. The films were doped with Fe during gelation, and three different structure directing agents were used for mesoporous silica synthesis: polyoxyethylene (10) cetyl ether (C16EO10), Pluronic tri-block copolymer (P123), and cetyltriethylammonium chloride (CTAC). A high degree of CNT alignment on C16EO10-mesoporous silica films was produced at Fe:Si molar ratio of 1.80. Similar alignment of CNTs was achieved on the other two types of films but on CTAC-mesoporous silica films, CNTs only grew parallel to the substrate surface from the cracks in the films because of the in-plane arrangement of the mesopores in such films. Considerable progress has been made in producing multi-walled carbon nanotubes (CNTs) by catalytic CVD techniques. If CNTs are to be integrated into certain useful devices, it is critical to be able to grow highly aligned arrays of CNTs with narrow size distribution and at specific locations on a substrate. Long-range alignment normal to the substrate results from steric crowding if the initial catalyst sites are sufficiently dense. Alignment may be improved with better control of the density of catalytic sites by means of a template of appropriate pore structure. The confinement of CNTs by the pores during the initial growth may also help align CNTs.

Co3O4 with a spinel structure is a very active oxide catalyst for the oxidation of CO. In such catalysts, octahedrally coordinated Co(3+) is considered to be the active site, while tetrahedrally coordinated Co(2+) is assumed to be basically inactive. In this study, a highly ordered mesoporous CoO has been prepared by H2 reduction of nanocast Co3O4 at low temperature (250 °C). The as-prepared CoO material, which has a rock-salt structure with a single Co(2+) octahedrally coordinated by lattice oxygen in Fm3̅m symmetry, exhibited unexpectedly high activity for CO oxidation. Careful investigation of the catalytic behavior of mesoporous CoO catalyst led to the conclusion that the oxidation of surface Co(2+) to Co(3+) causes the high activity. Other mesoporous spinels (CuCo2O4, CoCr2O4, and CoFe2O4) with different Co species substituted with non/low-active metal ions were also synthesized to investigate the catalytically active site of cobalt-based catalysts. The results show that not only is the octahedrally coordinated Co(3+) highly active but also the octahedrally coordinated Co(2+) species in CoFe2O4 with an inverse spinel structure shows some activity. These results suggest that the octahedrally coordinated Co(2+) species is easily oxidized and shows high catalytic activity for CO oxidation. PMID:26301797

The transportation and diffusion of the guest objects or molecules in the porous carbon nanomaterials can be facilitated by reducing the pathway and resistance. The reduced pathway depends on the porous nature of carbon nanomaterials. Classification of porous carbon materials by the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) has given a new opportunity to design the pores as per their applicability and to understand the mobility of ions, atoms, and molecules in the porous network of carbon materials and also advanced their countless applicability. However, synthesis of carbon nanomaterials with a desired porous network is still a great challenge. Although, remarkable developments have taken place in the recent years, control over the pores size and/or hierarchical porous architectures, especially in the synthesis of carbon nanospheres (CNSs) and ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMCs) is still intriguing. The micro and mesoporous CNSs and OMCs have been prepared by a variety of procedures and over a wide range of compositions using various different surfactant templates and carbon precursors etc. The mechanisms of formation of micromesopore in the CNSs and OMCs are still evolving. On the other hand, the urge for adsorbents with very high adsorption capacities for removing contaminants from water is growing steadily. In this review, we address the state-of-the-art synthesis of micro and mesoporous CNSs and OMCs, giving examples of their applications for adsorptive removals of contaminants including our own research studies. PMID:24749459

It is of great scientific and practical significance to explore inorganic mimetic enzymes to replace natural enzymes due to their instability and high cost. Herein we present an interesting discovery that a V2O3-ordered mesoporouscarbon composite (V2O3-OMC) has a novel peroxidase-like activity towards fast redox reaction of typical peroxidase substrates H2O2 and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). Due to the small size effect and large surface area of V2O3 nanoparticles supported by OMC, V2O3-OMC exhibited excellent catalytic performance with a kcat of 1.28 × 104 s-1, KM (ABTS) of 0.067 mM and KM (H2O2) of 0.16 mM, and a significantly higher catalytic efficiency (kcat/KM) towards the oxidation of ABTS in comparison with the natural peroxidases. Furthermore, the Ping-pong BiBi mechanism was proposed to explain the catalytic reaction by V2O3-OMC. Based on this highly active biomimetic peroxidase and the colorimetric detection of H2O2, a facile analytical method was developed to detect glucose by using V2O3-OMC and glucose oxidase, which had a wide linear range (0.01-4 mM glucose), good selectivity and reliability for successful detection of various real samples. Thus, the novel V2O3-OMC peroxidase mimetic holds great promise for broad potential applications.It is of great scientific and practical significance to explore inorganic mimetic enzymes to replace natural enzymes due to their instability and high cost. Herein we present an interesting discovery that a V2O3-ordered mesoporouscarbon composite (V2O3-OMC) has a novel peroxidase-like activity towards fast redox reaction of typical peroxidase substrates H2O2 and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). Due to the small size effect and large surface area of V2O3 nanoparticles supported by OMC, V2O3-OMC exhibited excellent catalytic performance with a kcat of 1.28 × 104 s-1, KM (ABTS) of 0.067 mM and KM (H2O2) of 0.16 mM, and a

It is of great scientific and practical significance to explore inorganic mimetic enzymes to replace natural enzymes due to their instability and high cost. Herein we present an interesting discovery that a V2O3-ordered mesoporouscarbon composite (V2O3-OMC) has a novel peroxidase-like activity towards fast redox reaction of typical peroxidase substrates H2O2 and 2,2'-azino-bis(3-ethylbenzo-thiazoline-6-sulfonic acid) diammonium salt (ABTS). Due to the small size effect and large surface area of V2O3 nanoparticles supported by OMC, V2O3-OMC exhibited excellent catalytic performance with a k(cat) of 1.28 × 10(4) s(-1), K(M) (ABTS) of 0.067 mM and K(M) (H2O2) of 0.16 mM, and a significantly higher catalytic efficiency (k(cat)/K(M)) towards the oxidation of ABTS in comparison with the natural peroxidases. Furthermore, the Ping-pong BiBi mechanism was proposed to explain the catalytic reaction by V2O3-OMC. Based on this highly active biomimetic peroxidase and the colorimetric detection of H2O2, a facile analytical method was developed to detect glucose by using V2O3-OMC and glucose oxidase, which had a wide linear range (0.01-4 mM glucose), good selectivity and reliability for successful detection of various real samples. Thus, the novel V2O3-OMC peroxidase mimetic holds great promise for broad potential applications. PMID:26099042

The composite electrocatalysts of cobalt oxide/mesoporouscarbon and cobalt nitride/mesoporouscarbon are synthesized via a convenient oxidation and subsequent ammonia nitridation of cobalt particles-incorporated mesoporouscarbon, respectively. The cobalt oxide and nitride particles are uniformly imbedded in mesoporouscarbon matrix, forming the unique composites with high surface area and mesopore architecture, and the resultant composites are evaluated as counter electrode materials, exhibiting good catalytic activity for the reduction of triiodide. The composites of cobalt nitride and mesoporouscarbon are superior to the counterparts of cobalt oxide and mesoporouscarbon in catalyzing the triiodide reduction, and the dye-sensitized solar cell with the composites achieves an optimum power conversion efficiency of 5.26%, which is comparable to the one based on the conventional Pt counter electrode (4.88%).

Ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) with high specific surface area and large pore volume was synthesized and tested for use as an adsorbent for volatile organic compound (VOC) disposal. Benzene, cyclohexane and hexane were selected as typical adsorbates due to their different molecular sizes and extensive utilization in industrial processes. In spite of their structural differences, high adsorption amounts were achieved for all three adsorbates, as the pore size of OMC is large enough for the access of these VOCs. In addition, the unusual bimodal-like pore size distribution gives the adsorbates a higher diffusion rate compared with conventional adsorbents such as activatedcarbon and carbon molecular sieve. Kinetic analysis suggests that the adsorption barriers mainly originated from the difficulty of VOC vapor molecules entering the pore channels of adsorbents. Therefore, its superior adsorption ability toward VOCs, together with a high diffusion rate, makes the ordered mesoporouscarbon a promising potential adsorbent for VOC disposal. PMID:25872710

Mesoporous magnetic activatedcarbon: Effect of preparation route on texture and surface properties and on effect for Reactive Black 5 adsorption. Dimitrios Giannakoudakis1, Hayarpi Saroyan2, Nikolaos Lazaridis2, Eleni Deliyanni2 1 City College of New York, Chemistry Department, 160 Convent Avenue, New York, United States 2 Laboratory of General and oInorganic Chemical Technology, Department of Chemistry, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, GR-541 24 Thessaloniki, Greece In this study, the effect of preparation route of a mesoporous magnetic activatedcarbon on Reactive Black 5 (RB5) adsorption was investigated. The synthesis of the magnetic activatedcarbon was achieved both with (i) impregnation method (Bmi), and (ii) co-precipitation with two precipitation agents: NaOH (Bm) and NH4OH (Bma). After synthesis, the full characterization with various techniques (SEM, FTIR, XRD, DTA, DTG, VSM) was achieved in order to testify the effect of the preparation route on its textural and surface properties. It was shown that after the precipitation method the prepared carbon presented a collapsed texture and small magnetic properties. Effects of initial solution pH, effect of temperature, adsorption isotherms and kinetics were investigated in order to conclude about the aforementioned effect of the preparation method on dye adsorption performance of the magnetic carbons. The adsorption evaluation of the magnetic activatedcarbon presented higher adsorption capacity of Bmi carbon (350 mg/g) and lower of Bm (150 mg/g). Equilibrium experiments are also performed studying the effect of contact time (pseudo-first and -second order equations) and temperature (isotherms at 25, 45 and 65 °C fitted to Langmuir and Freundlich model). A full thermodynamic evaluation was carried out, calculating the parameters of enthalpy, free energy and entropy (ΔHο, ΔGο and ΔSο). The characterization with various techniques revealed the possible interactions/forces of dye-composite system.

The removal of toxic herbicide from wastewater is challenging due to the availability of suitable adsorbents. The Langsat empty fruit bunch is an agricultural waste and was used in this study as a cheap precursor to produce activatedcarbon for the adsorption of herbicide 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) at different initial concentrations ranging from 50 to 400 mg/L. The produced Langsat empty fruit bunch activatedcarbon (LEFBAC) was mesoporous and had high surface area of 1065.65 m(2)/g with different active functional groups. The effect of shaking time, temperature and pH on 2,4-D removal were investigated using the batch technique. The adsorption capacity of 2,4-D by LEFBAC was decreased with increase in pH of solution whereas adsorption capacity increased with temperature. The adsorption data was well described by Langmuir isotherm followed by removal capacity of 261.2 mg/g at 30 °C. The results from this work showed that LEFBAC can be used as outstanding material for anionic herbicide uptake from wastewater. PMID:25721981

A direct templating method which is facile, inexpensive and suitable for the large scale production of mesoporouscarbon is reported herein. A meso-structure surfactant/silicate template was made in a solution phase and resorcinol-formaldehyde as a carbon precursor was incorporated into the template solution. After aging, carbonization and hydrofluoric acid (HF) etching, mesoporouscarbon was obtained. Using X-ray diffraction, scanning and transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen sorption, the synthesis mechanism of the mesoporouscarbon was elucidated. According to the small angle X-ray scattering measurements, the surface became smoother after the removal of the silica, indicating that the silica was mostly located at the pore surface of the carbon. Also, the calculation of the pore volume demonstrated that the silica was transferred into the pores of the carbon without structural collapse during HF etching. When the prepared mesoporouscarbon was applied to a supercapacitor electrode, the rectangular shape of the cyclic voltammogram was less collapsed, even at a high scan rate, which is indicative of its high rate capability. This was due to the low resistance of the electrolyte in the pores (3.8 {Omega} cm{sup 2}), which was smaller than that of conventional activatedcarbon electrodes and even comparable to that of ordered mesoporouscarbon electrodes. This improved performance was probably due to the well developed mesoporosity and high pore connectivity of the prepared mesoporouscarbon.

Mesoporouscarbon catalyst supports are attractive due to their wide chemical stability while potentially increasing masstransport through and providing a path for larger molecules to access catalytic sites. Herein we report the synthesis of a 10 phosphorylated mesoporouscarbon solid-acid catalyst characterized by NH3-TPD and isopropanol dehydration.

Soft-templated mesoporouscarbons and activatedmesoporouscarbons were fluorinated using elemental fluorine between room temperature and 235 C. The mesoporouscarbons were prepared via self-assembly synthesis of phloroglucinol formaldehyde as a carbon precursor in the presence of triblock ethylene oxide propylene oxide ethylene oxide copolymer BASF Pluronic F127 as the template. The F/C ratios ranged from 0.15 to 0.75 according to gravimetric, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Materials have mesopore diameters up to 11 nm and specific surface areas as high as 850 m2 g 1 after fluorination as calculated from nitrogen adsorption isotherms at 196 C. Furthermore, the materials exhibit higher discharge potentials and energy and power densities as well as faster reaction kinetics under high current densities than commercial carbon fluorides with similar fluorine contents when tested as cathodes for Li/CFx batteries.

Electrosorptive deionisation is an alternative process to remove salt ions from the brackish water. The porous carbon materials are used as electrodes. When charged in low voltage electric fields, they possess a highly charged surface that induces adsorption of salt ions on the surface. This process is reversible, so the adsorbed salt ions can be desorbed and the electrode can be reused. In the study, an ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) electrode was developed for electrosorptive desalination. The effects of pore arrangement pattern (ordered and random) and pore size distribution (mesopores and micropores) on the desalination performance was investigated by comparing OMC and activatedcarbon (AC). It were revealed from X-ray diffraction and N(2) sorption measurements that AC has both micropores and mesopores, whereas ordered mesopores are dominant in OMC. Their performance as potential electrodes to remove salt was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge/discharge tests at a range of electrolyte concentrations and sweep rates. It is deduced that under the same electrochemical condition the specific capacitance values of OMC electrode (i.e. 133 F/g obtained from CV at a sweep rate of 1 mV/s in 0.1M NaCl solution) are larger than those of AC electrode (107 F/g), suggesting that the former has a higher desalting capacity than the latter. Furthermore, the OMC electrode shows a better rate capacity than the AC electrode. In addition, the desalination capacities were quantified by the batch-mode experiment at low voltage of 1.2V in 25 ppm NaCl solution (50 micros/cm conductivity). It was found that the adsorbed ion amounts of OMC and AC electrodes were 11.6 and 4.3 micromol/g, respectively. The excellent electrosorptive desalination performance of OMC electrode might be not only due to the suitable pore size (average of 3.3 nm) for the propagation of the salt ions, but also due to the ordered mesoporous structure that facilitates desorption of the

Bisphenol A (BPA) is of global concern due to its disruption of endocrine systems and ubiquity in the aquatic environment. It is important, therefore, that efforts are made to remove it from the aqueous phase. A novel adsorbent, mesoporouscarbon CMK-3, prepared from hexagonal SBA-15 mesoporous silica was studied for BPA removal from aqueous phase, and compared with conventional powdered activatedcarbon (PAC). Characterization of CMK-3 by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffraction, and nitrogen adsorption indicated that prepared CMK-3 had an ordered mesoporous structure with a high specific surface area of 920 m2/g and a pore-size of about 4.9 nm. The adsorption of BPA on CMK-3 followed a pseudo second-order kinetic model. The kinetic constant was 0.00049 g/(mg x min), much higher than the adsorption of BPA on PAC. The adsorption isotherm fitted slightly better with the Freundlich model than the Langmuir model, and adsorption capacity decreased as temperature increased from 10 to 40 degrees C. No significant influence of pH on adsorption was observed at pH 3 to 9; however, adsorption capacity decreased dramatically from pH 9 to 13. PMID:21516989

Ordered mesoporous silica of SBA-15 type and activatedcarbon, prepared from waste biomass (peach stones), are used as host matrix of nanosized iron and cobalt particles. The effect of preparation procedure on the state of loaded nanoparticles is in the focus of investigation. The obtained materials are characterized by Boehm method, low temperature physisorption of nitrogen, XRD, UV-Vis, FTIR, Mossbauer spectroscopy and temperature programmed reduction with hydrogen. The catalytic behaviour of the samples is tested in methanol decomposition. The dispersion, oxidative state and catalytic behaviour of loaded cobalt and iron nanoparticles are successfully tuned both by the nature of porous support and the metal precursor used during the samples preparation. Facile effect of active phase deposition from aqueous solution of nitrate precursors is assumed for activatedcarbon support. For the silica based materials the catalytic activity could be significantly improved when cobalt acetylacetonate is used during the modification. The complex effect of pore topology and surface functionality of different supports on the active phase formation is discussed.

Cobalt-based nanomaterials are promising candidates as efficient, affordable, and sustainable alternative electrocatalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the catalytic efficiency of traditional nanomaterials is still far below what is expected, because of their low stability in basic solutions and poor active site exposure yield. Here a unique hybrid nanomaterial comprising Co@Co3O4 core-shell nanoparticle (NP) encapsulated N-doped mesoporouscarbon cages on reduced graphene oxide (denoted as Co@Co3O4@NMCC/rGO) is successfully synthesized via a carbonization and subsequent oxidation strategy of a graphene oxide (GO)-based metal-organic framework (MOF). Impressively, the special carbon cage structure is very important for not only leading to a large active surface area, enhanced mass/charge transport capability, and easy release of gas bubbles, but also preventing Co@Co3O4 NPs from aggregation and peeling off during prolonged electrochemical reactions. As a result, in alkaline media, the resulting hybrid materials catalyze the OER with a low onset potential of ∼1.50 V (vs. RHE) and an over-potential of only 340 mV to achieve a stable current density of 10 mA cm(-2) for at least 25 h. In addition, metallic Co cores in Co@Co3O4 provide an alternative way for electron transport and accelerate the OER rate. PMID:26914166

Self-assembled mesoporouscarbon (MC) materials have been synthesized and tested for application in capacitive deionization (CDI) of saline water. MC was prepared by self-assembly of a triblock copolymer with hydrogen-bonded chains via a phenolic resin, such as resorcinol or phloroglucinol in acidic conditions, followed by carbonization and, in some cases, activation by KOH. Carbon synthesized in this way was ground into powder, from which activated MC sheets were produced. In a variation of this process, after the reaction of triblock copolymer with resorcinol or phloroglucinol, the gel that was formed was used to coat a graphite plate and then carbonized. The coated graphite plate in this case was not activated and was tested to serve as current collector during the CDI process. The performance of these MC materials was compared to that of carbon aerogel for salt concentrations ranging between 1000 ppm and 35,000 ppm. Resorcinol-based MC removed up to 15.2 mg salt per gram of carbon, while carbon aerogel removed 5.8 mg salt per gram of carbon. Phloroglucinol-based MC-coated graphite exhibited the highest ion removal capacity at 21 mg of salt per gram of carbon for 35,000 ppm salt concentration. PMID:22032802

Self-assembled mesoporouscarbon (MC) materials have been synthesized and tested for application in capacitive deionization (CDI) of saline water. MC was prepared by self-assembly of a triblock copolymer with hydrogen-bonded chains via a phenolic resin, such as resorcinol or phloroglucinol in acidic conditions, followed by carbonization and, in some cases, activation by KOH. Carbon synthesized in this way was ground into powder, from which activated MC sheets were produced. In a variation of this process, after the reaction of triblock copolymer with resorcinol or phloroglucinol, the gel that was formed was used to coat a graphite plate and then carbonized. The coated graphite plate in this case was not activated and was tested to serve as current collector during the CDI process. The performance of these MC materials was compared to that of carbon aerogel for salt concentrations ranging between 1000 ppm and 35,000 ppm. Resorcinol-based MC removed up to 15.2 mg salt per gram of carbon, while carbon aerogel removed 5.8 mg salt per gram of carbon. Phloroglucinol-based MC-coated graphite exhibited the highest ion removal capacity at 21 mg of salt per gram of carbon for 35,000 ppm salt concentration.

Supercapacitors have attracted huge attention in recent years as they have the potential to satisfy the demand of both huge energy and power density in many advanced technologies. However, poor conductivity and cycling stability remains to be the major challenge for its widespread application. Various strategies have been developed for meeting the ever-increasing energy and power demands in supercapacitors. This Research News article aims to review recent progress in the development of mesoporouscarbon incorporated metal oxide nanomaterials, especially metal oxide nanoparticles confined in ordered mesoporouscarbon and 1D metal oxides coated with a layer of mesoporouscarbon for high-performance supercapacitor applications. In addition, a recent trend in supercapacitor development - hierarchical porous graphitic carbons (HPGC) combining macroporous cores, mesoporous walls, and micropores as an excellent support for metal oxides - is also discussed. PMID:23030034

Liquid silicon precursor is used as a silicon source and very simple and easy method for the incorporation of Si into mesoporouscarbon spheres is presented. By using capillary condensation, the liquid precursor, Cyclopentasilane, penetrates into mesopores of carbon spheres homogeneously and subsequent heating brings the decomposition of the precursor and the formation of silicon inside meso-channels of carbon even though the decomposition is done much higher than the boiling point of the precursor. The homogeneous distribution of silicon is verified by EDX mapping of the composite as well as SEM observation of the calcined one. More than 45wt% of Si can be incorporated into mesopores by just one operation. The Si@mesoporouscarbon composite works as an anode for a Lithium ion battery. PMID:27344486

A high efficiency sorbent for CO2 capture was developed by loading polyethylenimine (PEI) on mesoporouscarbons which possessed well-developed mesoporous structures and large pore volume. The physicochemical properties of the sorbent were characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), thermal gravimetric analysis (TG) and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) techniques followed by testing for CO2 capture. Factors that affected the sorption capacity of the sorbent were studied. The sorbent exhibited extraordinary capture capacity with CO2 concentration ranging from 5% to 80%. The optimal PEI loading was determined to be 65 wt.% with a CO2 sorption capacity of 4.82 mmol-CO2/g-sorbent in 15% CO2/N2 at 75 degrees C, owing to low mass-transfer resistance and a high utilization ratio of the amine compound (63%). Moisture had a promoting effect on the sorption separation of CO2. In addition, the developed sorbent could be regenerated easily at 100 degrees C, and it exhibited excellent regenerability and stability. These results indicate that this PEI-loaded mesoporouscarbon sorbent should have a good potential for CO2 capture in the future. PMID:23586307

Here, we report the synthesis of surfactant-templated mesoporouscarbons from lignin, which is a biomass-derived polymeric precursor, and their potential use as a controlled-release medium for functional molecules such as pharmaceuticals. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report on the use of lignin for chemical-activation-free synthesis of functional mesoporouscarbon. The synthesized carbons possess the pore widths within the range of 2.5-12.0 nm. In this series of mesoporouscarbons, our best result demonstrates a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area of 418 m(2)/g and a mesopore volume of 0.34 cm(3)/g, which is twice the micropore volume in this carbon. Because of the dominant mesoporosity, this engineered carbon demonstrates adsorption and controlled release of a representative pharmaceutical drug, captopril, in simulated gastric fluid. Large-scale utilization of these sustainable mesoporouscarbons in applications involving adsorption, transport, and controlled release of functional molecules is desired for industrial processes that yield lignin as a coproduct. PMID:23731336

Carbon materials with ordered mesoporous structures were synthesized using soft template methods and then activated by CO2 treatment. Sulfur was incorporated in these carbons via a simple chemical deposition method in aqueous solutions and the resulting composites were tested as electrodes in Li-S cells. The electrochemical results showed that well-ordered mesoporouscarbons perform better than those with a random mesopore arrangement (wormhole-like mesoporous structure). The mesopore ordering yields a framework of well-connected empty sites that results in an enhancement of both the charge carrier mobility and the reversibility of the electrochemical reaction. Although the activation with CO2 partially destroys the mesopore arrangement, which adversely affects the electrode performance, it notably increases the surface area and the micropore content which improves the connectivity between the mesopores. The final observation was an irrelevant effect of the activation process at low current densities. However, at higher rates the activatedcarbon composite delivered higher capacities. The hierarchical pore structure formed by micro- and mesopores should guarantee the required fast mobility of the Li(+). PMID:25019261

Mesoporous nanocomposite materials in which nanoscale zirconia (ZrO(2)) particles are embedded in the carbon skeleton of a templated mesoporouscarbon matrix were prepared, and the embedded zirconia sites were used to accomplish chemical functionalization of the interior surfaces of mesopores. These nanocomposite materials offer a unique combination of high porosity (e.g., ∼84% void space), electrical conductivity, and surface tailorability. The ZrO(2)/carbon nanocomposites were characterized by thermogravimetric analysis, nitrogen-adsorption porosimetry, helium pychnometry, powder X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Comparison was made with templated mesoporouscarbon samples prepared without addition of ZrO(2). Treatment of the nanocomposites with phenylphosphonic acid was undertaken and shown to result in robust binding of the phosphonic acid to the surface of ZrO(2) particles. Incorporation of nanoscale ZrO(2) surfaces in the mesoporous composite skeleton offers unique promise as a means for anchoring organophosphonates inside of pores through formation of robust covalent Zr-O-P bonds. PMID:22248432

The photodegradation of 4-nitrophenol in aqueous solution was studied by using titania-based photocatalysts, in particular standard commercial titania samples (anatase and rutile, Hunstmann; P25 and Aeroxide VP P90, Evonik) and a mesoporous and nanocrystalline titania synthesized under hydrothermal conditions. A comparison between the commercial products and our preparations made evident a different particle size and phase composition. Moreover, in order to investigate a possible synergism between TiO2 and carbon nanotubes (CNTs), further two samples were purposely synthesized by adding to the reaction mixture used for the catalyst preparation a small amount of single-walled or multi-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs and MWCNTs). Among the investigated solids, the nanocrystalline titania resulted to be the most active photocatalysts. The less active solids were rutile and mesoporous titania. The addition of a small amount of MWCNTs further increased the photoactivity of the nanocrystalline titania.

Earth-abundant transition metal oxides and hydroxides have been intensively investigated as promising catalysts for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER). However, the overall OER performance of the transition metal oxides/hydroxides is largely jeopardized by their inherent low electrical conductivity. Mesoporouscarbon has been a commonly used as a carrier material for these oxides/hydroxides to promote the electrical conductivity and provide a large specific surface area. However, most of the available mesoporouscarbon carriers are amorphous. It has been very challenging to synthesize graphitic mesoporouscarbon owing to the extremely high graphitization temperature. In this work, we report a new strategy used to prepare graphitic mesoporouscarbon (GMC) by employing Fe metal as the graphitization catalyst. The graphitic carbon was obtained at 1000 °C, at which it retained its mesoporous structure. The conductivity of the obtained GMC was approximately 550 S m(-1) , which was almost ten times higher than that of amorphous carbon. The GMC was further loaded with Fe-Ni hydroxide to fabricate the OER catalyst. The obtained catalyst showed good OER activity with an overpotential of 320 mV at a current density of 10 mA cm(-2) and a low Tafel slope of 57 mV dec(-1) . The synthesized catalyst also possessed excellent stability, with almost no current drop even after 2000 cycles and at a constant voltage for 2 h. PMID:27312811

Increasing concerns for the escalating issues activated by the effect of carbon dioxide emissions on the global climate from extensive use of fossil fuels and the limited amount of fossil resources has led to an in-depth search for alternative energy systems, primarily based on nuclear or renewable energy sources. Recent innovations in the production of more efficient devices for energy harvesting, storage, and conversion are based on the incorporation of nanostructured materials into electrochemical systems. The aforementioned nano-electrochemical energy systems hold particular promise for alternative energy transportation related technologies including fuel cells, hydrogen storage, and electrochemical supercapacitors. In each of these devices, nanostructured materials can be used to increase the surface area where the critical chemical reactions occur within the same volume and mass, thereby increasing the energy density, power density, electrical efficiency, and physical robustness of the system. Durable corrosion resistant carbon support materials for fuel cells have been designed by adding conductive low cost carbon materials with chemically robust ceramic materials. Since a strict control of the pore size is mandatory to optimize properties for improved performance, chemical activation agents have been utilized as porogens to tune surface areas, pore size distributions, and composition of carbon-based mesoporous materials. Through the use of evaporative self-assembly methods, both randomly disordered and surfactant-templated, ordered carbon-silica nanocomposites have been synthesized with controlled surface area, pore volume, and pore size ranging from 50-800 m2/g, 0.025-0.75 cm3/g, and 2-10 nm, respectively. Multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) ranging from 0.05-1.0 wt. % were added to the aforementioned carbon-silica nanocomposites, which provided an additional increase in surface area and improved conductivity. Initially, a conductivity value of 0.0667 S

MgO-templated mesoporouscarbons were fabricated by annealing trimagnesium dicitrate nonahydrate at various temperatures from 700 to 1000 °C with subsequent acid leaching of MgO. The obtained carbons contained a large amount of mesopores. Performances of electric double-layer capacitors using these carbons were examined for propylene carbonate electrolyte containing 1 M tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate. The mesoporouscarbons synthesized at higher temperatures showed better rate capabilities. AC impedance measurements indicated that high-temperature annealing of the carbon precursors and the presence of mesopores were important for high rate performance. In addition, the contribution of mesopores to capacitance was more significant at higher current densities of 30 A g-1.

The polysaccharide carrageenan is used as a natural precursor to prepare micro-mesoporouscarbon spheres. The carbon spheres were synthesized by hydrothermal carbonization of carrageenan, and subsequent chemical activation by KOH at different temperatures. The obtained micro-mesoporouscarbon spheres have high surface area (up to 2502 m2 g-1) and large pore volume (up to 1.43 cm3 g-1). Moreover, the micro- and mesoporosity can be finely tuned be modifying the activation temperatures in the range of 700-900 °C. The carbon spheres activated at 900 °C present high specific capacitance of 230 F g-1 at a current density of 1 A g-1 and good ion transport kinetics. The good capacitive performance can be ascribed to the high specific surface area, well-controlled micro- and mesoporosity and narrow pore size distribution.

This work presents the synthesis of monodisperse, mesoporous silica nanoparticles and their application as nanocontainers loaded with corrosion inhibitor (1H-benzotriazole (BTA)) and embedded in hybrid SiOx/ZrOx sol-gel coating for the corrosion protection of aluminum alloy. The developed porous system of mechanically stable silica nanoparticles exhibits high surface area (∼1000 m2·g(-1)), narrow pore size distribution (d∼3 nm), and large pore volume (∼1 mL·g(-1)). As a result, a sufficiently high uptake and storage of the corrosion inhibitor in the mesoporous nanocontainers was achieved. The successful embedding and homogeneous distribution of the BTA-loaded monodisperse silica nanocontainers in the passive anticorrosive SiOx/ZrOx film improve the wet corrosion resistance of the aluminum alloy AA2024 in 0.1 M sodium chloride solution. The enhanced corrosion protection of this newly developed active system in comparison to the passive sol-gel coating was observed during a simulated corrosion process by the scanning vibrating electrode technique (SVET). These results, as well as the controlled pH-dependent release of BTA from the mesoporous silica nanocontainers without additional polyelectrolyte shell, suggest an inhibitor release triggered by the corrosion process leading to a self-healing effect. PMID:21344888

Mesoporouscarbon materials do not have sufficient ordering at the atomic scale to exhibit good electronic conductivity. To date, mesoporouscarbons having uniform mesopores and high surface areas have been prepared from partially-graphitizable precursors in the presence of templates. High temperature thermal treatments above 2000 C, which are usually required to increase conductivity, result in a partial or total collapse of the mesoporous structures and reduced surface areas induced by growth of graphitic domains, limiting their applications in electric double layer capacitors and lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we successfully implemented a 'brick-and-mortar' approach to obtain ordered graphitic mesoporouscarbon nanocomposites with tunable mesopore sizes below 850 C without using graphitization catalysts or high temperature thermal treatments. Phenolic resin-based mesoporouscarbons act as mortar to highly conductive carbon blacks and carbon onions (bricks). The capacitance and resistivity of final materials can be tailored by changing the mortar to brick ratios.

Carbon-based solid acid catalysts have shown significant potential in a wide range of applications, and they have been successfully synthesized using simple processes. Magnetically separable mesoporouscarbon composites also have enormous potential, especially in separation and adsorption technology. However, existing techniques have been unable to produce a magnetically separable mesoporous solid acid catalyst because no suitable precursors have been identified. Herein we describe a magnetically separable, mesoporous solid acid catalyst synthesized from a newly developed mesoporouscarbon-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle composite. This material exhibits an equivalent acid density and catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose, to that of the cellulose-derived conventional catalyst. Since it is magnetically separable, this material can be readily recovered and reused, potentially reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes to which it is applied. PMID:26856604

Soft-templated mesoporouscarbons and activatedmesoporouscarbons were fluorinated using elemental fluorine between room temperature and 235 °C. The mesoporouscarbons were prepared via self-assembly synthesis of phloroglucinol–formaldehyde as a carbon precursor in the presence of triblock ethylene oxide–propylene oxide–ethylene oxide copolymer BASF Pluronic F127 as the template. The F/C ratios ranged from ~0.15 to 0.75 according to gravimetric, energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy, and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy analysis. Materials have mesopore diameters up to 11 nm and specific surface areas as high as 850 m² g⁻¹ after fluorination as calculated from nitrogen adsorption isotherms at -196 °C. Furthermore, the materials exhibit higher discharge potentials and energy and power densities as well as faster reaction kinetics under high current densities than commercial carbon fluorides with similar fluorine contents when tested as cathodes for Li/CFx batteries.

Template-synthesized mesoporouscarbons were successfully used in in vitro investigations of controlled delivery of three model drugs, captopril, furosemide, and ranitidine hydrochloride. Captopril and furosemide exhibited desorption kinetics over 30 40 h, and ranitidine HCl had a complete release time of 5 10 h. As evident from the slow release kinetics, we contend that our mesoporouscarbon is an improved drug-delivery medium compared to state-of-the-art porous silica-based substrates. The mesoporouscarbons, synthesized from phloroglucinol and lignin, a synthetic and a sustainable precursor, respectively, exhibit BET surface area of 200 400 m2 g-1 and pore volume of 0.2 0.6 cm3 g-1. The phloroglucinol-based carbon has narrower pore widths and higher pore volume than the lignin-derived counterpart and maintains a longer release time. Numerical modeling of the release kinetics data reveals that the diffusivities of all the drugs from lignin-based carbon media are of equivalent magnitude (10-22 to 10-24 m2 s-1). However, a tailored reduction of pore width in the sorbent reduces the diffusivity of smaller drug molecules (captopril) by an order of magnitude. Thus, engineered pore morphology in our synthesized carbon sorbent, along with its potential to tailor the chemistry of its interaction with sorbet, can be exploited for optimal delivery system of a preferred drug within its therapeutic level and below the level of toxicity.

Soft-templated phosphorylated mesoporouscarbons with homogeneous distributions of phosphate groups were prepared by a 'one-pot' synthesis method using mixtures of phosphoric acid with hydrochloric, or nitric acids in the presence of Pluronic F127 triblock copolymer. Adjusting the various ratios of phosphoric acid used in these mixtures resulted in carbons with distinct adsorption, structural and surface acidity properties. The pore size distributions (PSDs) from nitrogen adsorption at -196 C showed that mesoporouscarbons exhibit specific surface areas as high as 551 m{sup 2}/g and mesopores as large as 13 nm. Both structural ordering of the mesopores and the final phosphate contents were strongly dependent on the ratios of H{sub 3}PO{sub 4} in the synthesis gels, as shown by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray photoelectron (XPS) and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The number of surface acid sites determined from temperature programmed desorption of ammonia (NH{sub 3}-TPD) were in the range of 0.3-1.5 mmol/g while the active surface areas are estimated to comprise 5-54% of the total surface areas. Finally, the conversion temperatures for the isopropanol dehydration were lowered by as much as 100 C by transitioning from the least acidic to the most acidic catalysts surface.

Highly ordered, three-dimensional (3D) cubic mesoporouscarbon CMK-8 is prepared by a facile nanocasting approach using cubic mesoporous silica KIT-6 as starting template. Afterwards, in order to increase the active sites of surface electrochemical reactions and promote the wettability in aqueous electrolyte, a chemical surface modification is carried out on the CMK-8 by nitric acid treatment. Two electrodes are prepared from the CMK-8 and the acid-modified CMK-8 (H-CMK-8) and used as the active materials for supercapacitors. The unique 3D mesoporous network combined with high specific surface area makes the nano-channel surfaces of the CMK-8 carbon favorable for charging the electric double-layer, resulting in that the CMK-8 and the H-CMK-8 electrodes both show well supercapacitive properties. Furthermore, the specific capacitance of the CMK-8 can be further improved by acid treatment, so that the H-CMK-8 exhibits the largest specific capacitance of 246 F g -1 at a current density of 0.625 A g -1 in 2 M KOH electrolyte. Also, the two carbon electrodes both exhibit good cycling stability and lifetime. Therefore, based on the above investigations, such CMK-8 carbon, especially H-CMK-8 carbon can be a potential candidate for supercapacitors.

Bimetallic ruthenium-copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon were prepared via a template route and evaluated in terms of catalytic properties in D-glucose hydrogenation. The existence of bimetallic entities was supported by Ru L3-edge and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption results. The hydrogen spillover effect of the bimetallic catalyst on the hydrogenation reaction was evidenced by the results of both hydrogen and carbon monoxide chemisorptions. The bimetallic catalyst displayed a higher catalytic activity than the single-metal catalysts prepared using the same approach, namely ruthenium or copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon. This improvement was due to the changes in the geometric and electronic structures of the bimetallic catalyst because of the presence of the second metal. PMID:24072134

Mesoporouscarbon/silica nanocomposites and derivative hierarchically mesoporouscarbon have been prepared using 1,4-bis(triethoxysilyl)benzene (BTEB) as a precursor for a carbon/silica network and Pluronic P123 (HO(CH2CH2O)20(CH2CH(CH3)O)70(CH2CH2O)20H) as a template for highly-ordered hexagonal pores. Co-assembly of BTEB and P123 and subsequent carbonization results in a mesoporouscarbon/silica nanocomposite with hexagonally oriented pores. Removal of the silica component in the carbon/silica network creates a second porosity in the network and results in hierarchically mesoporouscarbon. The mesostructure of these materials was characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM), powder X-ray diffraction (PXRD), and N2 sorption.

We report the facile synthesis of an extremely durable electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction with highly graphitized mesoporouscarbon (GMPC) as support (Pt/GMPC). GMPC is prepared through graphitizing the self-assembled soft-template mesoporouscarbon (MPC) under high temperature. Most of the mesoporous structures and the specific surface area of MPC are retained even after 2800 °C heat-treatment, and the graphitization degree is greatly improved. GMPC is then noncovalently functionalized with poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA) and then coated with Pt nanoparticles with ethylene glycol reduction method. Pt nanoparticles of ~3.0 nm in diameter are uniformly dispersed on GMPC. Pt/GMPC exhibits a higher activity towards oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) than Pt nanoparticles supported on Vulcan XC-72 carbon (Pt/XC-72). The durability of Pt/GMPC is improved by a factor of ~2 compared with Pt/XC-72. The enhanced activity and durability of Pt/GMPC are attributed to the graphitic structure of GMPC which makes GMPC more resistant to corrosion and the interaction between Pt nanoparticles and GMPC stronger. GMPC is promising as catalyst support. This provides a facile, eco-friendly promising strategy, avoiding the usually used chemical functionalization of carbon support with oxidizing strong acid, to synthesize electrocatalysts with high durability and activity for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cells. This strategy can be widely applied in synthesizing metal nanoparticles on hydrophobic support materials.

Bimetallic ruthenium-copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon were prepared via a template route and evaluated in terms of catalytic properties in d-glucose hydrogenation. The existence of bimetallic entities was supported by Ru L3-edge and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption results. The hydrogen spillover effect of the bimetallic catalyst on the hydrogenation reaction was evidenced by the results of both hydrogen and carbon monoxide chemisorptions. The bimetallic catalyst displayed a higher catalytic activity than the single-metal catalysts prepared using the same approach, namely ruthenium or copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon. This improvement was due to the changes in the geometric and electronic structures of the bimetallic catalyst because of the presence of the second metal.Bimetallic ruthenium-copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon were prepared via a template route and evaluated in terms of catalytic properties in d-glucose hydrogenation. The existence of bimetallic entities was supported by Ru L3-edge and Cu K-edge X-ray absorption results. The hydrogen spillover effect of the bimetallic catalyst on the hydrogenation reaction was evidenced by the results of both hydrogen and carbon monoxide chemisorptions. The bimetallic catalyst displayed a higher catalytic activity than the single-metal catalysts prepared using the same approach, namely ruthenium or copper nanoparticles embedded in the pore walls of mesoporouscarbon. This improvement was due to the changes in the geometric and electronic structures of the bimetallic catalyst because of the presence of the second metal. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available. See DOI: 10.1039/c3nr03813k

We present results of longitudinal field repolarisation measurements carried out at J-PARC and ISIS on the "green" functional carbon materials Starbon 300 and Starbon 800, synthesized using starch as a template and subjected to pyrolysis treatments at different temperatures (300°C and 800°C respectively); pyrolysis at low temperature may be expected to yield a material retaining more of the "hydrophilic" properties of the original starch material in its chemically active voids, while high temperature pyrolysis may be expected to lead to "hydrophobic" voids and a more graphitic material. The hydrophilic material shows a larger repolarising fraction than the hydrophobic material, with a hyperfine constant on the order of 200-300 MHz. This is likely to be a superposition of the repolarisation of multiple radicals. Several candidate and model species are investigated through accompanying density functional theory calculations.

Recently, graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) materials have received a great attention from many researchers due to their various roles as a visible light harvesting photocatalyst, metal-free catalyst, reactive template, nitrogen source of nitridation reaction, etc. g-C3N4 could be prepared by temperature-induced polymerization of cyanamide or melamine. In this study, we report a preparation of mesoporous graphitic carbon nitrides with tailored porous texture including pore size, and specific surface area from cyanamide and colloidal silica nanoparticles (Ludox). At first, cyanamide-silica nanocomposites were prepared by mixing colloidal silica with different size in the range of 7-22 nm and cyanamide, followed by evaporating the solvent in the resulting mixture. Mesoporous g-C3N4 samples were prepared by calcining cyanamide-silica nanocomposite at 550 degrees C for 4 hrs and removing the silica nanoparticles by using ammonium hydrogen fluoride. The formation of g-C3N4 was confirmed by the sharp (002) peak (d = 3.25 A) of graphitic interlayer stacking, and the broad (100) peak (d = 6.86 A) of in-plane repeating unit in the X-ray diffraction patterns. According to N2 adsorption-desorption analysis, the pore size of mesoporouscarbon nitrides was similar to the size of colloidal silica used as hard template (7-22 nm). The specific surface area of mesoporous g-C3N4 could be tailored in the range of 189 m2/g-288 m2/g. PMID:24245279

In this paper, carbon-doped monoclinic scheelite mesoporous bismuth vanadate was synthesized through template-engaged in situ method. The bismuth nitrate pentahydrate and ammonia metavanadate were used as bismuth and vanadium precursors, respectively, glucose as carbon source, and mesoporous SiO2 aerogel as a hard template. Carbon-doped monoclinic mesoporous BiVO4 were obtained by heat treatment of BiVO4/glucose/template to carbonize glucose and form monoclinic crystal, followed by etching with NaOH solution to remove the SiO2 template. The samples were characterized by x-ray diffraction, N2 adsorption and desorption, UV-visible spectroscopy, Energy dispersive spectrometry, Raman spectroscopy, and Transmission electron microscopy. It was found that the sample with a carbon content of 0.5 wt.% possesses a specific surface area of 10.2 m2/g and has mesoporous structure with the most probable pore size of 13.9 nm. The band gap of carbon-doped monoclinic mesoporous BiVO4 was estimated to be 2.33 eV, indicating the superior photocatalytic activity under visible light. The photocatalytic efficiency of carbon-doped monoclinic mesoporous BiVO4 for the degradation of Rhodamine B under visible light (λ > 400 nm) in 120 min reaches 98.7%, Besides, the carbon-doped monoclinic mesoporous BiVO4 photocatalyst still showed high stability: 85% for Rhodamine B degradation after ten recycles.

Composites of nano zero-valent iron (nZVI) and ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) are prepared by using simultaneous carbothermal reduction methods. The reactivity and stability of nZVI are expected to be enhanced by embedding it in the ordered pore channels. The structure characteristics of nZVI/OMC and the removal pathway for hexavalent chromium (Cr(VI)) by nZVI/OMC are investigated. Results show that nZVI/OMC with a surface area of 715.16 m(2) g(-1) is obtained at 900 °C. nZVI with particle sizes of 20-30 nm is uniformly embedded in the OMC skeleton. The stability of nZVI is enhanced by surrounding it with a broad carbon layer and a little γ-Fe is derived from the passivation of α-Fe. Detection of ferric state (Fe 2p3/2, around 711.2eV) species confirms that part of the nZVI on the outer surface is inevitably oxidized by O2, even when unused. The removal efficiency of Cr(VI) (50 mg L(-1)) by nZVI/OMC is near 99% within 10 min through reduction (dominant mechanism) and adsorption. nZVI/OMC has the advantage in removal efficiency and reusability in comparison to nZVI/C, OMC and nZVI. This study suggests that nZVI/OMC has the potential for remediation of heavy metal pollution in water. PMID:25898797

Now in 3D! Three-dimensionally bimodal carbons (3D-BMC) with mesopores of tunable size (controlled through the polymerization of the carbon precursor) are synthesized. After loading with platinum, the catalysts are used in aqueous phase reforming of polyols, and show superior performance in terms of carbon conversion, hydrogen yield, selectivity, and hydrogen production rate compared to platinum catalysts supported on activatedcarbon or two-dimensional CMK-3. PMID:22415941

Low oral bioavailability can be circumvented by the formulation of the poorly water soluble drug in ordered mesoporous silica (OMS-L-7). Fenofibrate is an orally administered, poorly water-soluble active pharmaceutical ingredient (API), used clinically to lower lipid levels. Fenofibrate was loaded into silica using two methods: incipient wetness and supercritical impregnation. This study investigates the impact of loading and the impact of varying supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) processing conditions. The objective is to enhance Fenofibrate loading into silica while reducing degree of the drug crystallinity, so as to increase the drug's dissolution rate and its bioavailability. The comparison of both impregnation processes was made in terms of impregnation yields and duration as well as physical characterization of the drug. While incipient wetness method led to a Fenofibrate loading up to 300 mgdrug/gsilica in 48 h of impregnation, the supercritical impregnation method yielded loading up to 485 mgdrug/gsilica in 120 min of impregnation duration, at 16 MPa and 308 K, with a low degree of crystallinity (about 1%) comparable to the crystallinity observed via the solvent method. In addition to the enhancement of impregnation efficiency, the supercritical route provides a solvent-free alternative for impregnation. PMID:26732521

Soft-templating method was used to prepare mesoporouscarbons. The synthesis in the presence of hydrochloric and citric acids involved resorcinol and formaldehyde as carbon precursors and triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 as a template. The as-synthesized samples underwent carbonization in flowing nitrogen at various temperatures; namely 600 °C, 700 °C and 800 °C. Two routes were used to develop microporosity in the mesoporouscarbons studied. The first one involved introduction of tetraethyl orthosilicate to the reaction system. After silica dissolution with NaOH, an increase in microporosity was observed. The second method, chemical activation with KOH at 700 °C, was explored as an alternative approach to create microporosity. It is noteworthy that the TEOS addition not only led to the development of microporosity but also to some improvement of mesoporosity. The post-synthesis KOH activation resulted in more significant increase in the microporosity as compared to the samples obtained by TEOS-assisted synthesis. The mesopore volume was somewhat lower for activatedcarbons as compared to that in mesoporouscarbons. Both methods resulted in micro-mesoporouscarbons with good adsorption properties; for instance, in the case of carbons prepared in the presence of TEOS, the best sample exhibited BET surface area of 1463 m2/g and the total pore volume of 1.31 cm3/g. For the KOH activatedcarbons the best adsorption parameters were as follows: the specific surface area = 1906 m2/g, and the total pore volume = 0.98 cm3/g. Both procedures used for microporosity development afforded carbons with good adsorption properties that can be useful for applications such as CO2 adsorption, air and water purification.

A low cost and locally available material, Lemna minor, was used to fabricate activatedcarbon using H3PO4 activation. After H3PO4 activation, the L. minor activatedcarbons (LACs) possess high mesoporosity (92.2%) and a surface area of 531.9 m2/g according to Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) analysis. Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and X-ray photoelectron spectrometer (XPS) analyses reveal the presence of rich hydroxyl, carboxyl, amide and phosphate functional groups on the LACs surface, leading to facile Pb(II) binding to the surface through strong chemisorptive bonds or ion-exchange. The kinetic and equilibrium data were well described by pseudo-first-order model and Langmuir isotherm, with the maximum monolayer adsorption capacity (qm) 170.9 mg/g at 25 °C. The intra-particle diffusion mechanism was partially responsible for the adsorption. The adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic with negative ΔG and positive ΔH. The Pb(II)-loaded LACs could be easily regenerated using 0.1-M HCl and reused for seven cycles without significant adsorption capacity reduction. The maximum percentage removal rate for Pb(II) (20 mg/L) was found to be 91.8% within 30 min, at optimum conditions of pH 6.0 and 25 °C. These suggested that the low-cost LACs could be used as a potential adsorbent in the treatment of lead-contaminated water.

Visible photoluminescence (PL) from oxidized mesoporouscarbon-silica nanocomposite (MPCS) prepared by the triconstituent co-assembly method is reported. White PL from MPCS was observed by naked eye at room temperature. Oxidation effects on carbon-silica bonding states and transmittance were investigated. PL intensity decreased with decreasing of carbon dangling bond density by oxidation at above 500 °C. The transmittance of MPCS at excitation and emission wavelengths increased with increasing of oxidation temperature. It is concluded that PL intensity is determined by the balance between PL related carbon density and transmittance. We proposed an additional wet oxidation that can increase PL intensity by the increase of transmittance under suppressing carbon desorption.

A sandwich-like composite composed of ordered mesoporouscarbon-silica shell-coated graphene (denoted as graphene@mSiO2-C) was prepared by an in-situ carbonation strategy. A mesoporous silica shell was synthesized by a sol-gel method, and cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide inside the mesopores were in-situ carbonized as a carbon source to obtain a carbon-silica shell. The resulting mesoporouscarbon-silica material with a sandwich structure possesses a high surface area (600 m(2) g(-1)), large pore volume (0.587 cm(3) g(-1)), highly ordered mesoporous pore (3 nm), and high carbon content (30%). This material shows not only high hydrophobicity of graphene and mesoporouscarbon but also a hydrophilic silica framework that ensures excellent dispersibility in aqueous solution. The material can capture many more peptides from bovine serum albumin tryptic digests than mesoporous silica shell-coated graphene, demonstrating great enrichment efficiency for peptides. Furthermore, the prepared composite was applied to the enrichment of low-abundance endogenous peptides in human serum. Based on Matrix-Assisted Laser Desorption/ Ionization Time of Flight Mass Spectrometry identification, the graphene@mSiO2-C could efficiently size-exclude proteins and enriches the low-abundant peptides on the graphene and mesoporouscarbon. And based on the LC-MS/MS results, 892 endogenous peptides were obtained by graphene@mSiO2-C, hinting at its great potential in peptides analysis. PMID:26695263

Mesoporous TiO2 with well-distributed RuO2 catalysts is considered in this paper as a carbon-free cathode material replacement. Benefiting from the highly-porous TiO2 support structure and high catalytic activity of RuO2, the Li-O2 cells with composite RuO2/mesoporous TiO2 cathodes show low charge potentials with a high cell capacity. The stability of the TiO2 materials was verified by investigating stable cell performance as well as through structural and chemical characterization via X-ray diffraction and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. This study demonstrates the possibility of achieving high energy at the cell level, free of carbon instability.

The synthesis of highly functionalized porous silica-carbon composites made up of sulfonic groups attached to a carbon layer coating the pores of three types of mesostructured silica (i.e. SBA-15, KIT-6 and mesocellular silica) is presented. The synthesis procedure involves the following steps: (a) removal of the surfactant, (b) impregnation of the silica pores with a carbon precursor, (c) carbonization and (d) sulfonation. The resulting silica-carbon composites contain ˜30 wt % of carbonaceous matter with a high density of acidic groups attached to the deposited carbon (i.e.sbnd SO3H, sbnd COOH and sbnd OH). The structural characteristics of the parent silica are retained in the composite materials, which exhibit a high surface area, a large pore volume and a well-ordered porosity made up uniform mesopores. The high density of the sulfonic groups in combination with the mesoporous structure of the composites ensures that a large number of active sites are easily accessible to reactants. These sulfonated silica-carbon composites behave as eco-friendly, active, selective, water tolerant and recyclable solid acids. In this study we demonstrate the usefulness of these composites as solid acid catalysts for the esterification of maleic anhydride, succinic acid and oleic acid with ethanol. These composites exhibit a superior intrinsic catalytic activity to other commercial solid acids such as Amberlyst-15.

A high-surface-area mesoporouscarbon material has been synthesized using a self-templating approach via reduction of carbon tetrachloride by sodium potassium alloy. The advantage is the reduction-generated salt templates can be easily removed with just water. The produced mesoporouscarbon has a high surface area and a narrow pore size distribution. When used as a supercapacitor electrode, this material exhibits a high specific capacitance (259 F g(-1)) and excellent cycling performance (>92% capacitance retention for 6000 cycles). PMID:26913815

A new and facile one-step synthesis method for preparing granulated mesoporouscarbon (GMC) with three-dimensional spherical mesoporous symmetry is prepared to remove large molecular weight organic compounds in aqueous phase. GMC is synthesized in a single step using as-synthesized mesoporouscarbon particles and organic binders through a simple and economical synthesis approach involving a simultaneous calcination and carbonization process. Characterization results obtained from SEM, XRD, as well as surface and porosity analysis indicate that the synthesized GMC has similar physical properties to those of the powdered mesoporouscarbon and maintains the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface area and pore volume because the new synthesis method prevents the collapse of the pores during the granulation process. Batch adsorption experiments revealed GMC showed a substantial adsorption capacity (202.8 mg/g) for the removal of methyl violet as a target large molecular contaminant in aqueous phase. The mechanisms and dynamics modeling of GMC adsorption were also fully examined, which revealed that surface diffusion was rate limiting step on adsorption process of GMC. Adsorption kinetics of GMC enables 3 times faster than that of granular activatedcarbon in terms of surface diffusion coefficient. This is the first study, to the best of our knowledge, to synthesize GMC as an adsorbent for water purification by using facile granulation method and to investigate the adsorption kinetics and characteristics of GMC. This study introduces a new and simple method for the synthesis of GMC and reveals its adsorption characteristics for large molecular compounds in a water treatment. PMID:27262123

Porous carbon is the most widely used electrode materials in energy storage devices. It is generally accepted that in such electrodes, mesoporosity is more desired in supercapacitor than microporosity for the ions tranportation. However, the relatively poor conductivity of porous carbon often leads to low capacitance. To improve the capacity of mesoporouscarbon based electrode, we designed a composite film composed of mesoporouscarbon, multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) and conducting polymer, Poly-3,4-ethylenedioxythiophene/poly(styrenesulfonate) (PEDOT-PSS), and hoped that each component in the composed film could contribute synergetically to improve electrochemical properties. The electrochemical performance of the film was evaluated by cyclic voltammetry and constant current charge/discharge method. With the assistance of MWNTs and conducting polymer, the specific capacitance of the mesoporouscarbon based electrode was amplified six times. The electrode also presented excellent charge/discharge rate and good cycling stability, retaining about 94% of its initial capacitance after 1000 cycles. The results demonstrated that mesoporouscarbon is more effectively utilized with assistance of MWNTs and conducting polymer in the electrode. Such method is very promising for the future applications of the porous carbon in electrode materials for high performance electrochemical supercapacitors. PMID:25924364

A series of ordered mesoporouscarbons containing magnetic Ni nanoparticles (Ni-OMCs) with a variety of Ni loadings was made by a simple one-pot synthetic procedure through carbonization of phenolic resin-Pluronic block copolymer composites containing various amount of nickel nitrate. Such composite materials were characterized by N{sub 2} sorption, XRD, and STEM. Ni-OMCs exhibited high BET surface area, uniform pore size, and large pore volume without obvious pore blockage with a Ni loading as high as 15 wt%. Ni nanoparticles were crystalline with a face-center-cubic phase and observed mainly in the carbon matrix and on the outer surface as well. The average particle size of Ni nanoparticles was dependent on the preparation (carbonization) temperature and Ni loading; the higher the temperature was used and the more the Ni was incorporated, the larger the Ni nanoparticles were observed. One of the applications of Ni-OMCs was demonstrated as magnetically separable adsorbents.

We first report the multi-couple reaction in all vanadium redox flow batteries (VRFB) while using bio-mass (coconut shell) derived mesoporouscarbon as electrode. The presence of V3+/V4+ redox couple certainly supplies the additional electrons for the electrochemical reaction and subsequently provides improved electrochemical performance of VRFB system. The efficient electro-catalytic activity of such coconut shell derived high surface area mesoporouscarbon is believed for the improved cell performance. Extensive power and electrochemical studies are performed for VRFB application point of view and described in detail.

Owing to several disadvantages of traditional hard template based synthesis, soft-template or self-assembly was adopted to synthesize mesoporouscarbon. In this work, we have introduced hexaphenol as a new and large organic precursor for the synthesis of mesoporouscarbon by self-assembly with pluronic P123 as structure dictating agent. The resultant mesoporouscarbon is bimodal in nature with median pore widths of 29 and 45 and BET surface area of 312 m2/g. Unlike previously synthesized mesoporouscarbon, this carbon possesses negligible micropore volume. This mesoporouscarbon is very suitable candidate for several applications including membrane separation, chemical sensor or selective sorption of larger molecules.

Uniform rhodium nanoparticles (NP) with three different particle sizes (1.9, 2.4, and 3.6 nm) were prepared via a polyol method with rhodium (III) acetylacetonate, poly(vinylpyrrolidone) with different concentrations of sodium citrate. The prepared Rh nanoparticles were impregnated into the ordered mesoporouscarbon supports with two different pore structures (2D hexagonal and 3D cubic). The prepared Rh nanoparticle-supported ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) were introduced as catalysts for the CO hydrogenation of syngas to produce C2 higher alcohols. The characteristics of the Rh nanoparticle-supported ordered mesoporouscarbons catalysts were analyzed through transmission electron microscopy, powder X-ray diffraction, and N2 physisorption analysis. The catalytic tests of the catalyst were performed using a fixed-bed reactor. The results revealed that the catalysts exhibited the different catalytic activity and selectivity of higher alcohols, which could be attributed to the different OMC structures, the nanoparticle size of Rh, and aggregation of Rh nanoparticles during the reaction. PMID:27433718

Copper-containing mesoporouscarbon (Cu-MC) was prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. For comparison, copper-impregnated mesoporouscarbon (Cu/MC) was also prepared by a surfactant-templating method and a subsequent impregnation method. Rhenium catalysts supported on copper-containing mesoporouscarbon and copper-impregnated mesoporouscarbon (Re/Cu-MC and Re/Cu/MC, respectively) were then prepared by an incipient wetness method, and they were applied to the liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol (BDO). It was observed that copper in the Re/Cu-MC catalyst was well incorporated into carbon framework, resulting in higher surface area and larger pore volume than those of Re/Cu/MC catalyst. Therefore, Re/Cu-MC catalyst showed higher copper dispersion than Re/Cu/MC catalyst, although both catalysts retained the same amounts of copper and rhenium. In the liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO, Re/Cu-MC catalyst showed a better catalytic activity than Re/Cu/MC catalyst. Fine dispersion of copper in the Re/Cu-MC catalyst was responsible for its enhanced catalytic activity. PMID:24245272

Various electrochemical methods have been applied to establish the electrochemical characteristics of the electrical double layer capacitor (EDLC) consisting of the 1 M triethylmethylammonium tetrafluoroborate solution in acetonitrile and activatedcarbon based electrodes. Activated microporous carbon materials used for the preparation of electrodes have been synthesized from the hydrothermal carbonization product (HTC) prepared via hydrothermal carbonization process of D-(+)-glucose solution in H2O, followed by activation with ZnCl2, KOH or their mixture. Highest porosity and Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area (SBET = 2150 m2 g-1), micropore surface area (Smicro = 2140 m2 g-1) and total pore volume (Vtot = 1.01 cm3 g-1) have been achieved for HTC activated using KOH with a mass ratio of 1:4 at 700 °C. The correlations between SBET, Smicro, Vtot and electrochemical characteristics have been studied to investigate the reasons for strong dependence of electrochemical characteristics on the synthesis conditions of carbon materials studied. Wide region of ideal polarizability (ΔV ≤ 3.0 V), very short characteristic relaxation time (0.66 s), and high specific series capacitance (134 F g-1) have been calculated for the mentioned activatedcarbon material, demonstrating that this system can be used for completing the EDLC with high energy- and power densities.

Phosphorylated mesoporouscarbons (PMCs) have been synthesized using an already reported one pot methodology. These materials have been applied as acidic catalysts in the dehydration of fructose to hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF). PMCs showed better selectivity to HMF compared to sulfonated carbon catalyst (SC) despite lower activity. The concentration of P-O groups correlates to the activity/selectivity of the catalysts; the higher the P-O concentration the higher the activity. However, the higher the P-O content the lower the selectivity to HMF. Indeed a lower concentration of the P-O groups (and even the acidic groups) minimized the degradation of HMF to levulinic acid and the formation of by-products, such as humines. Stability tests showed that these systems deactivate due to the formation of humines, water insoluble by-products derived from the dehydration of fructose, blocking the active site of the catalyst. Increasing the amount of P-O groups, higher amount of humines are formed; therefore carbons containing lower amount of phosphorylated groups, such as P/N-0.25, are less prone to deactivation. Keywords: Phosphorylated mesoporouscarbons; fructose dehydration; HMF

The mesoporouscarbons have been synthesized by using α-D(+)-Glucose, D-Glucosamine hydrochloride or their mixture as carbon precursors and mesoporous silicas (SBA-15 or MCF) as hard templates. The as-prepared products show a large pore volume (0.59-0.97 cm3 g-1), high surface areas (352.72-1152.67 m2 g-1) and rational nitrogen content (ca. 2.5-3.9 wt.%). The results of electrochemical tests demonstrate that both heteroatom doping and suitable pore structure play a decisive role in the performance of supercapacitors. The representative sample of SBA-15 replica obtained using D-Glucosamine hydrochloride only exhibits high specific capacitance (212.8 F g-1 at 0.5 A g-1) and good cycle durability (86.1% of the initial capacitance after 2000 cycles) in 6 M KOH aqueous electrolyte, which is attributed to the contribution of double layer capacitance and pseudo-capacitance. The excellent electrochemical performance makes it a promising electrode material for supercapacitors.

Sixteen mesoporouscarbon adsorbents were synthesized by varying the ratio of soft to hard templates in order to optimize the pore textural properties of these adsorbents. The mesoporouscarbon adsorbents have a high BET specific surface area (1590.3-2193.5 m(2)/g), large pore volume (1.72-2.56 cm(3)/g), and uniform pore size distribution with a median pore diameter ranging from 3.51 nm to 4.52 nm. It was observed that pore textural properties of the carbon adsorbents critically depend on the molar ratio of carbon sources to templates, and the hard template plays a more important role than the soft template in manipulating the pore textures. Adsorption isotherms of berberine hydrochloride at 303 K were measured to evaluate the adsorption efficacy of these adsorbents. The adsorption of berberine hydrochloride from aqueous solutions on the sixteen mesoporouscarbon adsorbents synthesized in this work is very efficient, and the adsorption equilibrium capacities on all samples are more than double the adsorption capacities of berberine hydrochloride of the benchmark adsorbents (polymer resins and spherical activatedcarbons) at similar conditions. It was observed from the adsorption experiments that the equilibrium adsorption amounts of berberine hydrochloride are strongly correlated with the BET specific surface area and pore volume of the adsorbents. The adsorbent with the highest BET of 2193.5 m(2)/g displayed the largest adsorption capacity of 574 mg/g at an equilibrium concentration of 0.10mg/mL of berberine hydrochloride in an aqueous solution. PMID:24767505

Carbon-based supercapacitors can provide high electrical power, but they do not have sufficient energy density to directly compete with batteries. We found that a nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous few-layer carbon has a capacitance of 855 farads per gram in aqueous electrolytes and can be bipolarly charged or discharged at a fast, carbon-like speed. The improvement mostly stems from robust redox reactions at nitrogen-associated defects that transform inert graphene-like layered carbon into an electrochemically active substance without affecting its electric conductivity. These bipolar aqueous-electrolyte electrochemical cells offer power densities and lifetimes similar to those of carbon-based supercapacitors and can store a specific energy of 41 watt-hours per kilogram (19.5 watt-hours per liter).

Carbon-based supercapacitors can provide high electrical power, but they do not have sufficient energy density to directly compete with batteries. We found that a nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporous few-layer carbon has a capacitance of 855 farads per gram in aqueous electrolytes and can be bipolarly charged or discharged at a fast, carbon-like speed. The improvement mostly stems from robust redox reactions at nitrogen-associated defects that transform inert graphene-like layered carbon into an electrochemically active substance without affecting its electric conductivity. These bipolar aqueous-electrolyte electrochemical cells offer power densities and lifetimes similar to those of carbon-based supercapacitors and can store a specific energy of 41 watt-hours per kilogram (19.5 watt-hours per liter). PMID:26680194

Composite materials combining nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) with active species represent a paramount breakthrough as alternative catalysts to Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to their competitive activity, low cost and excellent stability. In this paper, a simple strategy is presented to construct graphene oxide-polydopamine (GD) based carbon nanosheets. This approach does not need to modify graphene and use any catalyst for polymerization under ambient conditions, and the obtained carbon nanosheets possess adjustable thicknesses and uniform mesoporous structures without using any template. The thickness of GD hybrids and the carbonization temperature are found to play crucial roles in adjusting the microstructure of the resulting carbon nanosheets and, accordingly their ORR catalytic activity. The optimized carbon nanosheet generated by a GD hybrid of 5 nm thickness after 900 °C carbonization exhibits superior ORR activity with an onset potential of -0.07 V and a kinetic current density of 13.7 mA cm-2 at -0.6 V. The unique mesoporous structure, high surface areas, abundant defects and favorable nitrogen species are believed to significantly benefit the ORR catalytic process. Furthermore, it also shows remarkable durability and excellent methanol tolerance outperforming those of commercial Pt/C. In view of the physicochemical versatility and structural tunability of polydopamine (PDA) materials, our work would shed new light on the understanding and further development of PDA-based carbon materials for highly efficient electrocatalysts.Composite materials combining nitrogen-doped carbon (NC) with active species represent a paramount breakthrough as alternative catalysts to Pt for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) due to their competitive activity, low cost and excellent stability. In this paper, a simple strategy is presented to construct graphene oxide-polydopamine (GD) based carbon nanosheets. This approach does not need to modify graphene and use

Light-harvesting macroporous channels have been successfully incorporated into a mesoporous TiO(2) framework to increase its photocatalytic activity. This bimodal porous material was characterized by X-ray diffractometry in both low-angle and wide-angle ranges, N(2) adsorption-desorption analysis, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, FT-IR, and diffuse reflectance spectroscopy. Ethylene photodegradation in gas-phase medium was employed as a probe reaction to evaluate the photocatalytic reactivity of the catalysts. The results reveal that sintering temperature significantly affects the structural stability and photocatalytic activity of titania. The catalyst which calcined at 350 degrees C possessed an intact macro/mesoporous structure and showed photocatalytic reactivity about 60% higher than that of commercial P25 titania. When the sample was calcined at 500 degrees C, the macroporous structure was retained but the mesoporous structure was partly destroyed. Further heating at temperatures above 600 degrees C destroyed both macro- and mesoporous structures, accompanied by a loss in photocatalytic activity. The high photocatalytic performance of the intact macro/mesoporous TiO(2) may be explained by the existence of macrochannels that increase photoabsorption efficiency and allow efficient diffusion of gaseous molecules. PMID:15752052

Mesoporouscarbon materials do not have sufficient ordering at the atomic scale to exhibit good electronic conductivity. To date, mesoporouscarbons having uniform mesopores and high surface areas have been prepared from partially-graphitizable precursors in the presence of templates. High temperature thermal treatments above 2000 °C, which are usually required to increase conductivity, result in a partial or total collapse of the mesoporous structures and reduced surface areas induced by growth of graphitic domains, limiting their applications in electric double layer capacitors and lithium-ion batteries. In this work, we successfully implemented a “brick-and-mortar” approach to obtain ordered graphitic mesoporouscarbon nanocomposites with tunable mesopore sizes below 850 °C without using graphitization catalysts or high temperature thermal treatments. Phenolic resin-based mesoporouscarbons act as mortar to highly conductive carbon blacks and carbon onions (bricks). The capacitance and resistivity of final materials can be tailored by changing the mortar to brick ratios.

Carbon-based solid acid catalysts have shown significant potential in a wide range of applications, and they have been successfully synthesized using simple processes. Magnetically separable mesoporouscarbon composites also have enormous potential, especially in separation and adsorption technology. However, existing techniques have been unable to produce a magnetically separable mesoporous solid acid catalyst because no suitable precursors have been identified. Herein we describe a magnetically separable, mesoporous solid acid catalyst synthesized from a newly developed mesoporouscarbon-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle composite. This material exhibits an equivalent acid density and catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose, to that of the cellulose-derived conventional catalyst. Since it is magnetically separable, this material can be readily recovered and reused, potentially reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes to which it is applied.

Carbon-based solid acid catalysts have shown significant potential in a wide range of applications, and they have been successfully synthesized using simple processes. Magnetically separable mesoporouscarbon composites also have enormous potential, especially in separation and adsorption technology. However, existing techniques have been unable to produce a magnetically separable mesoporous solid acid catalyst because no suitable precursors have been identified. Herein we describe a magnetically separable, mesoporous solid acid catalyst synthesized from a newly developed mesoporouscarbon-γ-Fe2O3 nanoparticle composite. This material exhibits an equivalent acid density and catalytic activity in the hydrolysis of microcrystalline cellulose, to that of the cellulose-derived conventional catalyst. Since it is magnetically separable, this material can be readily recovered and reused, potentially reducing the environmental impact of industrial processes to which it is applied. PMID:26856604

Research highlights: {yields} CNTs-implanted porous carbon spheres are prepared by using gelatin as soft template. {yields} Homogeneously distributed CNTs form a well-develop network in carbon spheres. {yields} CNTs act as a reinforcing backbone assisting the formation of pore structure. {yields} CNTs improve electrical conductivity and specific capacitance of supercapacitor. -- Abstract: Carbon nanotube-implanted mesoporouscarbon spheres were prepared by an easy polymerization-induced colloid aggregation method using gelatin as a soft template. Scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurements reveal that the materials are mesoporouscarbon spheres, with a diameter of {approx}0.5-1.0 {mu}m, a specific surface area of 284 m{sup 2}/g and average pore size of 3.9 nm. Using the carbon nanotube-implanted mesoporouscarbon spheres as electrode material for supercapacitors in an aqueous electrolyte solution, a low equivalent series resistance of 0.83 {Omega} cm{sup 2} and a maximum specific capacitance of 189 F/g with a measured power density of 8.7 kW/kg at energy density of 6.6 Wh/kg are obtained.

The synthesis of mesoporouscarbon nanospheres (MCNs), especially with diameters below 200 nm remains a great challenge due to weak interactions between the carbon precursors and soft templates, as well as the uncontrollable cross-linking rate of carbon precursors. Herein, we demonstrate a simple acid-assisted, hydrothermal synthesis approach to synthesizing such uniform MCNs with well controlled diameters ranging from 20 to 150 nm under highly acidic conditions (2 M HCl). Both the carbon precursor and the template are partly protonated under such conditions and show additional Coulombic interactions with chloride ions (acts as mediators). This kind of enhanced interaction is similar to that of the ``I+X-S+'' mechanism in the synthesis of mesoporous metal oxide, which can effectively retard the cross-linking rate of resol molecules and avoid macroscopic phase separation during the hydrothermal synthesis. Due to their uniform spherical morphology, small diameter, and high surface areas, MCNs can be modified with Fe and N species via impregnation of cheap precursors (ferric nitrate and dicyandiamide), which are further converted into nonprecious electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions. The resulting Fe-N/MCNs exhibit high catalytic activities, long-term stability and improved methanol tolerance under alkaline conditions, which can be potentially used in direct methanol fuel cells and metal-air batteries.The synthesis of mesoporouscarbon nanospheres (MCNs), especially with diameters below 200 nm remains a great challenge due to weak interactions between the carbon precursors and soft templates, as well as the uncontrollable cross-linking rate of carbon precursors. Herein, we demonstrate a simple acid-assisted, hydrothermal synthesis approach to synthesizing such uniform MCNs with well controlled diameters ranging from 20 to 150 nm under highly acidic conditions (2 M HCl). Both the carbon precursor and the template are partly protonated under such conditions

Capacitive deionization (CDI) with low-energy consumption and no secondary waste is emerging as a novel desalination technology. Graphene/mesoporouscarbon (GE/MC) composites have been prepared via a direct triblock-copolymer-templating method and used as CDI electrodes for the first time. The influences of GE content on the textural properties and electrochemical performance were studied. The transmission electron microscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis indicate that mesoporous structures are well retained and the composites display improved specific surface area and pore size distribution, as well as pore volume. Well dispersed GE nanosheets are deduced to be beneficial for enhanced electrical conductivity. The electrochemical performance of electrodes in an NaCl aqueous solution was characterized by cyclic voltammetry, galvanostatic charge-discharge and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy measurements. The composite electrodes perform better on the capacitance values, conductive behaviour, rate performance and cyclic stability. The desalination capacity of the electrodes was evaluated by a batch mode electrosorptive experiment and the amount of adsorbed ions can reach 731 μg g⁻¹ for the GE/MC composite electrode with a GE content of 5 wt%, which is much higher than that of MC alone (590 μg g⁻¹). The enhanced CDI performance of the composite electrodes can be attributed to the better conductive behaviour and higher specific surface area. PMID:22836788

Highly ordered mesoporouscarbon may be directly synthesized via supramolecular self-assembly with in situ evaporation-induced crystallization process by controlling thermal reaction temperatures and carbon mass loading. In the present study, the effects of thermal reaction temperatures on the structural characterization and adsorption capacity of mesoporouscarbon have been investigated and analyzed with orthogonal test experiments. The results show the carbonization temperature (R=32.1) plays a more important role than the self-assembly temperature (R=8.5) and thermal polymerization temperature (R=10.1) in manipulating the pore texture structures. The optimization grouping temperature was 40-110-500 °C. The optimum mesoporouscarbon sample had the highest BET specific surface area (474 m(2)/g), the largest pore volume (0.46 cm(3)/g), and with reasonable uniform pore size distribution. The adsorption evaluation also shows the adsorption capacity is strongly correlated with the pore structure of mesoporouscarbon, the optimized mesoporouscarbon sample displayed the largest adsorption capacity (350 mg/g) at an initial concentration of 20.0 mg/L of dichloroacetic acid. The study results indicate optimization of thermal reaction parameters is an effective approach for synthesis of ordered mesoporouscarbons. PMID:25935284

The π-π interaction-dependent vapour pressure of phenanthrenequinone can be used to synthesize a phenanthrenequinone-confined ordered mesoporouscarbon. Intimate contact between the insulating phenanthrenequinone and the conductive carbon framework improves the electrical conductivity. This enables a more complete redox reaction take place. The confinement of the phenanthrenequinone in the mesoporouscarbon mitigates the diffusion of the dissolved phenanthrenequinone out of the mesoporouscarbon, and improves cycling performance. PMID:25490893

Hollow mesoporouscarbon nitride nanosphere (HMCN) is firstly prepared via an etching route using hollow mesoporous silica as a sacrificial template. The as-obtained HMCN is a uniform spherical particle with a diameter of ∼300 nm，and possesses a high specific surface area up to 439 m2 g-1. Hollow mesoporouscarbon nitride nanosphere/three-dimensional (3D) graphene composite (HMCN-G) is subsequently fabricated via a hydrothermal treatment of HMCN with graphene oxide. As an electrocatalyst for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), the HMCN-G shows significantly enhanced electrocatalytic activity compared to bulk graphitic carbon nitride (g-C3N4) and HMCN in terms of the electron-transfer number, current density and onset potential. Increased density of catalytically active sites and improved accessibility to electrolyte enabled by the hollow and mesoporous architecture of HMCN, and high conductivity induced from graphene are considered to contribute to the remarkable electrocatalytic performance of the HMCN-G. Furthermore, HMCN-G exhibits superior methanol tolerance to Pt/C catalyst, suggesting that it is a promising metal-free electrocatalyst for polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell (PEMFC).

The hydro-transportation process used to obtain bitumen from the Alberta oil sands produces large volume of basal depressurization water (BDW), which contains high salt concentrations. In this research, thin-film nanocomposite (TFN) membrane technology applied to treat BDW in lab-scale, and evaluated water properties before and after the treatment. The average rejection ratios of ionic species were 95.2% and 92.8% by TFN membrane (with ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs)) and thin-film composite (TFC) (without OMCs) membrane, respectively. The turbidity and total dissolved solids (TDS) were completely rejected in all treatment conditions. Interestingly, the water flux of TFN membrane was dramatically increased compared to TFC membrane. The increase of water flux was believed to be caused by the increased membrane surface hydrophilicity and nano-pore effects by the OMCs. PMID:27433734

In this study, a heterogeneous catalyst including palladium nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon (Pd@N-C) is synthesized from palladium salts as palladium precursor, colloidal silica as template, and chitosan as carbon source. N2 sorption isotherm results show that the prepared Pd@N-C had a high BET surface area (640m(2)g(-1)) with large porosity. The prepared Pd@N-C is high nitrogen-rich as characterized with element analysis. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HR-TEM), and Raman spectroscopy characterization of the catalyst shows that the palladium species with different chemical states are well dispersed on the nitrogen-containing mesoporouscarbon. The Pd@N-C is high active and shows excellent stability as applied in Heck coupling reactions. This work supplies a successful method to prepare Pd heterogeneous catalysts with high performance from bulk biopolymer/Pd to high porous nitrogen-doped carbon supported palladium catalytic materials. PMID:27155234

In the present study, to insert the Cu nanoparticles (NPs) into mesoporouscarbon aerogels and first applied it to remove H2S efficiently. This desulfurizer was made based on the dimensional policy by inserting the Cu NPs on mesoporouscarbon aerogels to overcome the sintering problem and improve the activity, which has potential performance at high-temperature catalysis. The obtained desulfurizer was employed for H2S removal at middle temperature conditions (optimal H2S adsorption at 550 °C). We explored the optimum doping amount of CuOx, optimum temperature conditions, and the influence of textural parameters of carbon aerogels. The desulfurizers were characterized by means of field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), N2-adsorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), H2 temperature-programmed reduction (H2-TPR), and Raman spectra techniques. The results confirmed that the presence of H2 was unfavorable for sulfidation and obviously shortened the breakthrough time. However, the existence of CO had little impact on the desulfurization and sulfur capacity. In a nutshell, this work could provide a new synthetic route to prepare Cu NPs deep into the lattice of carbon aerogels structure of desulfurizers and understand the desulfurization mechanism. PMID:27128500

With this study, we have synthesized a nitrogen doped mesoporouscarbon with the BET surface area of 1066 m2/g, total pore volume 0.6 cm3/g and nitrogen content of 0.5%. Total alendronate adsorption in this carbon was ~5%. The release experiments were designed in four different media with sequential pH values of 1.2, 4.5, 6.8 and 7.4 for 3, 1, 3 and 5 h, respectively and at 37 °C to imitate the physiological conditions of stomach, duodenum, small intestine and colon, respectively. Release of the drug demonstrated a controlled fashion; only 20% of the drug was released in the media withmore » pH = 1.2, whereas 64% of the drug was released in pH = 7.4. This is in contrary to pure alendronate that was completely dissolved within 30 min in the first release media (pH = 1.2) only. The relatively larger uptake of alendronate in this carbon and its sustained fashion of release can be attributed to the hydrogen bonding between the drug and the nitrogen functionalities on carbon surface. Based on this result, it can be inferred that this formulation may lower the side effects of oral delivery of alendronate.« less

Selenium-impregnated carbon composites were synthesized by infusing Se into mesoporouscarbon at a temperature of 600 °C under vacuum. Ring-structured Se8 was produced and confined in the mesoporouscarbon, which acts as an electronic conductive matrix. During the electrochemical process in low-cost LiPF6/EC/DEC electrolyte, low-order polyselenide intermediates formed and were stabilized by mesoporouscarbon, which avoided the shuttle reaction of polyselenides. Exceptional electrochemical performance of Se/mesoporouscarbon composites was demonstrated in both Li-ion and Na-ion batteries. In lithium-ion batteries, Se8/mesoporouscarbon composite cathodes delivered a reversible capacity of 480 mAh g(-1) for 1000 charge/discharge cycles without any capacity loss, while in Na-ion batteries, it provided initial capacity of 485 mAh g(-1) and retained 340 mAh g(-1) after 380 cycles. The Se8/mesoporouscarbon composites also showed excellent rate capability. As the current density increased from 0.1 to 5 C, the capacity retained about 46% in Li-ion batteries and 34% in Na-ion batteries. PMID:23944942

A novel supported mesoporouscarbon ultrafiltration membrane and process for producing the same. The membranes comprise a mesoporouscarbon layer that exists both within and external to the porous support. A liquid polymer precursor composition comprising both carbonizing and noncarbonizing templating polymers is deposited on the porous metal support. The coated support is then heated in an inert-gas atmosphere to pyrolyze the polymeric precursor and form a mesoporouscarbon layer on and within the support. The pore-size of the membranes is dependent on the molecular weight of the noncarbonizing templating polymer precursor. The mesoporouscarbon layer is stable and can withstand high temperatures and exposure to organic chemicals. Additionally, the porous metal support provides excellent strength properties. The composite structure of the membrane provides novel structural properties and allows for increased operating pressures allowing for greater membrane flow rates. The invention also relates to the use of the novel ultrafiltration membrane to separate macromolecules from solution. An example is shown separating bovine serum albumin from water. The membrane functions by separating and by selective adsorption. Because of the membrane's porous metal support, it is well suited to industrial applications. The unique properties of the supported mesoporouscarbon membrane also allow the membrane to be used in transient pressure or temperature swing separations processes. Such processes were not previously possible with existing mesoporous membranes. The present invention, however, possesses the requisite physical properties to perform such novel ultrafiltration processes.

We report a catalyst made of Pd nanoparticles (NPs) supported on mesoporous N-doped carbon, Pd@CN(0132), which was shown to be highly active in promoting biomass refining. The use of a task-specific ionic liquid (3-methyl-1-butylpyridine dicyanamide) as a precursor and silica NPs as a hard template afforded a high-nitrogen-content (12 wt %) mesoporouscarbon material that showed high activity in stabilizing Pd NPs. The resulting Pd@CN(0.132) catalyst showed very high catalytic activity in hydrodeoxygenation of vanillin (a typical model compound of lignin) at low H(2) pressure under mild conditions in aqueous media. Excellent catalytic results (100% conversion of vanillin and 100% selectivity for 2-methoxy-4-methylphenol) were achieved, and no loss of catalytic activity was observed after six recycles. PMID:23030399

The synthesis of mesoporouscarbon nanospheres (MCNs), especially with diameters below 200 nm remains a great challenge due to weak interactions between the carbon precursors and soft templates, as well as the uncontrollable cross-linking rate of carbon precursors. Herein, we demonstrate a simple acid-assisted, hydrothermal synthesis approach to synthesizing such uniform MCNs with well controlled diameters ranging from 20 to 150 nm under highly acidic conditions (2 M HCl). Both the carbon precursor and the template are partly protonated under such conditions and show additional Coulombic interactions with chloride ions (acts as mediators). This kind of enhanced interaction is similar to that of the "I(+)X(-)S(+)" mechanism in the synthesis of mesoporous metal oxide, which can effectively retard the cross-linking rate of resol molecules and avoid macroscopic phase separation during the hydrothermal synthesis. Due to their uniform spherical morphology, small diameter, and high surface areas, MCNs can be modified with Fe and N species via impregnation of cheap precursors (ferric nitrate and dicyandiamide), which are further converted into nonprecious electrocatalysts for oxygen reduction reactions. The resulting Fe-N/MCNs exhibit high catalytic activities, long-term stability and improved methanol tolerance under alkaline conditions, which can be potentially used in direct methanol fuel cells and metal-air batteries. PMID:25779978

In this work, a low cost and nitrogen-containing carbon (CS) with mesoporous structure and high surface area is synthesized by carbonizing soybean. It is found that the prepared CS has excellent textural properties such as high specific surface areas and large pore diameters. TEM images show that the Pt nano-sized dendrites are well formed on the surface of CS. Compared to Pt supported on Vulcan carbon XC-72, electrochemical results show that Pt supported on CS possesses a higher electrocatalytic activity and better durability in methanol oxidation reaction, which are mainly attributed to the support effect of CS resulting in the unique morphology of Pt particles and high content of Pt(0). These results indicate that CS has great potential as a high-performance catalyst support for fuel cell electrocatalysis.

The conversion of lignocellulose is a crucial topic in the renewable and sustainable chemical industry. However, cellulose from lignocellulose is not soluble in polar solvents, and is, therefore, difficult to convert into value-added chemicals. A strategy to overcome this drawback is the use of mesoporouscarbon, which enhances the affinity between the cellulose and the catalyst through its abundant functional groups and large uniform pores. Herein, we report on the preparation of a Pt catalyst supported on a type of 3D mesoporouscarbon inspired by Echinometra mathae (Pt/CNE) to enhance the interaction between the catalyst and a nonsoluble reactant. In the hydrolytic hydrogenation of cellulose, the abundant oxygen groups of CNE facilitated the access of cellulose to the surface of the catalyst, and the open pore structure permits cello-oligomers to effectively diffuse to the active sites inside the pore. The highly dispersed Pt performed dual roles: hydrolysis by in situ generating protons from H2 or water as well as effective hydrogenation. The use of the Pt/CNE catalyst resulted in an approximately 80 % yield of hexitol, the best performance reported to date. In direct conversion of hardwood powder, the Pt/CNE shows good performance in the production of sugar alcohols (23 % yield). We expect that the open-structured 3D carbon will be widely applied to the conversion of various lignocellulosic materials. PMID:24227502

Functional mesoporouscarbon has been built using 1,10-phenanthroline as the fundamental building block, resulting in a nanoporous, high surface area sorbent capable of selectively binding transition metal ions. This material had a specific surface area of 870 m2/g, an average pore size of about 30 Å, and contained as much as 8.2 wt% N. Under acidic conditions, where the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand is protonated, this material was found to be an effective anion exchange material for transition metal anions like PdCl42- and H2VO41-. 1,10-Phenanthroline functionalized mesoporouscarbon (“Phen-FMC”) was found to have a high affinity for Cu(II), even down to a pH of 1. At pHs above 5, Phen-FMC was found to bind a variety of transition metal cations (e.g. Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), etc.) from filtered ground water, river water and seawater. Phen-FMC displayed rapid sorption kinetics with Co(II) in filtered river water, reaching equilibrium in less than an hour, and easily lowering the [Co(II)] to sub-ppb levels. Phen-FMC was found to be more effective for transition metal ion capture than ion-exchange resin or activatedcarbon. PMID:23762013

Functional mesoporouscarbon has been built using 1,10-phenanthroline as the fundamental building block, resulting in a nanoporous, high surface area sorbent capable of selectively binding transition metal ions. This material had a specific surface area of 870 m2/g, an average pore size of about 30Å, and contained as much as 8.2 weight percent N. Under acidic conditions, where the 1,10-phenanthroline ligand is protonated, this material was found to be an effective anion exchange material for transition metal anions like PdCl4-2 and H2VO4-1. 1,10-phenanthroline functionalized mesoporouscarbon (“Phen-FMC”) was found to have a high affinity for Cu(II), even down to a pH of 1. At pHs above 5, Phen-FMC was found to bind a variety of transition metal cations (e.g. Co(II), Ni(II), Zn(II), etc.) from filtered ground water, river water and seawater. Phen-FMC displayed rapid sorption kinetics with Co(II) in filtered river water, reaching equilibrium in less than an hour, and easily lowering the [Co(II)] to sub-ppb levels. Phen-FMC was found to be more effective for transition metal ion capture than ion exchange resin or activatedcarbon.

Topography at the nanoscale can lead to dramatic changes in the adhesion of cells to surfaces and their subsequent viability. For biological applications, including tissue engineering and cell-based sensing, the large internal surface area of ordered mesoporouscarbons provides an opportunity for enhanced sensitivity and performance, but the mesostructure also affects the topography of the material. In this work, we probe the viability and adhesion of osteoblasts on ordered mesoporous materials with different morphologies and matrix chemistries. FDU-15 (hexagonal) and FDU-16 (cubic) films were processed at either 350 degrees C (polymeric) or 800 degrees C (carbon) to provide these different materials. For the films processed at 350 degrees C, the cell adhesion was markedly improved on the mesoporous films in comparison to a dense film analog, consistent with many reports in the literature that nanostructuring of surfaces improves the viability and adhesion of osteoblasts. Conversely, osteoblast adhesion was reduced on the carbonized surfaces processed at 800 degrees C when ordered mesopores were introduced, particularly for the cubic mesostructure (FDU-16). We attribute the decrease in cell adhesion to the propensity of the ordered mesoporouscarbon films to sorb organics from aqueous solution, which could lead to removal of adhesion-promoting compounds at the film surface. These results suggest that cell viability on mesoporous polymer and carbon films can be controlled through simple changes in the pyrolysis temperature. PMID:20144750

Ordered mesoporouscarbon-silica/FeNi nanocomposite were prepared by a sol-gel method and following sintering process. The electromagnetic parameters were measured in the 0.5-18 GHz range. Compared with ordered mesoporouscarbon-silica composite, the permittivity of ordered mesoporouscarbon-silica/FeNi nanocomposite decreases, while the permeability almost remains unchanged. The optimal reflection loss of ordered mesoporouscarbon-silica/FeNi nanocomposite can reach -45.6 dB at 11.1 GHz for a layer thickness of 3.0 mm. The enhanced microwave absorption of the mesoporouscarbon-silica/FeNi nanocomposite is due to better balance between the complex permittivity and permeability, geometrical effect, as well as multiple reflections by the ordered mesoporous structure.

Neutron imaging is presented as a tool for quantifying the diffusion of ions inside porous materials, such as carbon electrodes used in the desalination process via capacitive deionization and in electrochemical energy-storage devices. Monolithic mesoporouscarbon electrodes of ∼10 nm pore size were synthesized based on a soft-template method. The electrodes were used with an aqueous solution of gadolinium nitrate in an electrochemical flow-through cell designed for neutron imaging studies. Sequences of neutron images were obtained under various conditions of applied potential between the electrodes. The images revealed information on the direction and magnitude of ion transport within the electrodes. From the time-dependent concentration profiles inside the electrodes, the average value of the effective diffusion coefficient for gadolinium ions was estimated to be 2.09 ± 0.17 × 10(-11) m(2) s(-1) at 0 V and 1.42 ± 0.06 × 10(-10) m(2) s(-1) at 1.2 V. The values of the effective diffusion coefficient obtained from neutron imaging experiments can be used to evaluate model predictions of the ion transport rate in capacitive deionization and electrochemical energy-storage devices. PMID:23756558

Mesoporouscarbon and mesoporous silica were prepared respectively with a same rosin-silica nanocomposite gel which was synthesized by cogelating tetra-ethyl-oxy-silane (silica source) and rosin (carbon source). Carbonizing the gel in nitrogen and then etching away silica with alkaline solution, mesoporouscarbon with specific surface area larger than 800 m2/g was obtained. If calcining the gel at high temperature in air for given time, porous silica with surface area higher than 700 m2/g was done. BET measurement was employed to investigate the pore distribution and surface area of the samples. Most of the pores in both the porous carbon and porous silica were mesoscale, which makes the materials potential in enzyme supports for bio-catalyzed reaction or adsorbents for contaminants with large molecular size. PMID:19441395

We report on the synergy between catalytic propulsion and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for the design of Janus nanomotors as active cargo delivery systems with sizes <100 nm (40, 65, and 90 nm). The Janus asymmetry of the nanomotors is given by electron beam (e-beam) deposition of a very thin platinum (2 nm) layer on MSNPs. The chemically powered Janus nanomotors present active diffusion at low H2O2 fuel concentration (i.e., <3 wt %). Their apparent diffusion coefficient is enhanced up to 100% compared to their Brownian motion. Due to their mesoporous architecture and small dimensions, they can load cargo molecules in large quantity and serve as active nanocarriers for directed cargo delivery on a chip. PMID:25844893

We report on the synergy between catalytic propulsion and mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) for the design of Janus nanomotors as active cargo delivery systems with sizes <100 nm (40, 65, and 90 nm). The Janus asymmetry of the nanomotors is given by electron beam (e-beam) deposition of a very thin platinum (2 nm) layer on MSNPs. The chemically powered Janus nanomotors present active diffusion at low H2O2 fuel concentration (i.e., <3 wt %). Their apparent diffusion coefficient is enhanced up to 100% compared to their Brownian motion. Due to their mesoporous architecture and small dimensions, they can load cargo molecules in large quantity and serve as active nanocarriers for directed cargo delivery on a chip. PMID:25844893

In the present study, we report the structural and morphological properties of mesoporouscarbon coated molybdenum oxide films. The deposition of films was carried out in a two-step process, the first step involves deposition of molybdenum and carbon bilayer thin films using DC magnetron sputtering. In the second step the sample was ex-situ annealed in a muffle furnace at different temperatures (400°C to 600°C) and air cooled in the ambient atmosphere. The formation of the meso-porouscarbon clusters on molybdenum oxide during the cooling step was investigated using FESEM and AFM techniques. The structural details were explored using XRD. The meso-porouscarbon were found growing over molybdenum oxide layer as a result of segregation phenomena.

Exploring low-cost and high-performance nonprecious metal catalysts (NPMCs) for oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) in fuel cells and metal-air batteries is crucial for the commercialization of these energy conversion and storage devices. Here we report a novel NPMC consisting of Fe3 C nanoparticles encapsulated in mesoporous Fe-N-doped carbon nanofibers, which is synthesized by a cost-effective method using carbonaceous nanofibers, pyrrole, and FeCl3 as precursors. The electrocatalyst exhibits outstanding ORR activity (onset potential of -0.02 V and half-wave potential of -0.140 V) closely comparable to the state-of-the-art Pt/C catalyst in alkaline media, and good ORR activity in acidic media, which is among the highest reported activities of NPMCs. PMID:26014581

Mesoporous sulfonated carbons (SC) have been synthesized using tetraethyl orthosilicate (TEOS) as a silica source and sucrose as carbon source. The synthesized SC samples were carbonized in N₂flow at various high temperatures and then passing high purity air at room temperature. In this study, we extended the idea to deposit more oxygen functional groups into the surface of SC being high micropores for the favorable adsorption applications. The resulting materials were characterized by using XRD, BET surface area, TPD, TEM, TGA and FTIR techniques. Mesoporous SC materials with controllable pore diameters are expected to be significant to future research concerning the improvement of catalysis, supercapacitors, fuel cells and adsorption. PMID:27398587

Highly ordered mesoporous graphitic carbon was synthesized from a simple surfactant-assisted nanocasting route, in which ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 maintaining its triblock copolymer surfactant was used as a hard template and natural soybean oil (SBO) as a carbon precursor. The hydrophobic domain of the surfactant assisted SBO in infiltration into the template’s mesoporous channels. After the silica template was carbonized and removed, a higher yield of highly-ordered graphitic mesoporouscarbon with rod-like morphology was obtained. Because of the improved structural ordering, the mesoporouscarbon after amine modification could adsorb more CO2 compared with the amine-functionalized carbon prepared without the assistance of surfactant.

Highly ordered mesoporous graphitic carbon was synthesized from a simple surfactant-assisted nanocasting route, in which ordered mesoporous silica SBA-15 maintaining its triblock copolymer surfactant was used as a hard template and natural soybean oil (SBO) as a carbon precursor. The hydrophobic domain of the surfactant assisted SBO in infiltration into the template’s mesoporous channels. After the silica template was carbonized and removed, a higher yield of highly-ordered graphitic mesoporouscarbon with rod-like morphology was obtained. Because of the improved structural ordering, the mesoporouscarbon after amine modification could adsorb more CO2 compared with the amine-functionalized carbon prepared without the assistance of surfactant. PMID:27220563

A universal strategy was developed for the preparation of high-temperature-stable carbon nanotube (CNT) -supported metal nanocatalysts by encapsulation with a mesoporous silica coating. Specifically, we first showed the design of one novel catalyst, Pt(@)CNT/SiO(2), with a controllable mesoporous silica coating in the range 11-39 nm containing pores ≈3 nm in diameter. The hollow porous silica shell offers a physical barrier to separate Pt nanoparticles from contact with each other, and at the same time the access of reactant species to Pt was not much affected. As a result, the catalyst showed high thermal stability against metal particle agglomeration or sintering even after being subjected to harsh treatments up to 500 °C. In addition, degradation in catalytic activity was minimized for the hydrogenation of nitrobenzene over the catalyst treated at 300 °C for 2 h. The scheme was also extended to coat porous silica onto the surfaces of CuRu(@)CNT and the resultant catalyst thereby can be reusable at least four times without loss of activity for the hydrogenolysis of glycerol. These results suggest that the as-prepared nanostructured CNT-supported catalysts may find promising applications, especially in those processes requiring rigorous conditions. PMID:21480615

In this paper, mesoporouscarbon (meso-C) with three-dimensional mesoporous channels was synthesized through a nanocasting route using three-dimensional mesoporous silica KIT-6 as the template. Mesoporouscarbon wrapped Pd-Fe nanocomposite catalysts were synthesized by the co-precipitation method. The effects of the experimental conditions, such as pH value, Fe loading content and calcination temperature, on CO oxidation were studied in detail. The prepared Pd-Fe/meso-C catalysts showed excellent catalytic activity after optimizing the experimental conditions. The surface tetravalent Pd content, existing forms of Fe species, surface chemical adsorbed oxygen concentration, and pore channels of mesoporouscarbon played vital roles in achieving the highest performance for the Pd-Fe/meso-C catalyst. The reaction pathway was conjectured according to the XPS analysis of the Pd-Fe/meso-C catalysts for CO oxidation, which maybe adhered to the Langmuir-Hinshelwood + redox mechanism. The effect of moisture on CO conversion was investigated, and the superior Pd-Fe/meso-C catalyst could maintain its activity beyond 12 h. This catalyst also showed excellent activity compared to the reported values in the existing literature. PMID:26456796

In this study, we successfully design and synthesize the mesoporouscarbon coated carbon nanofibers (CNF@mesoCs) for the Li-air battery. The composites are fabricated via electrospinning technique and nanocasting strategy. After mesoporouscarbon coating process, the composites have retained their original one-dimensional structure as pristine carbon nanofibers. Every nanofiber entangles with each other to form a three-dimensional cross-linked web structure. Because of the mesoporouscarbon coating on carbon nanofibers, the surface area increases from 708 m2 g-1 to 2194 m2 g-1. We confirm that the mesoporouscarbon coated on carbon nanofibers is well-graphitized by analysis of Raman spectra. The graphitized surface of CNF@mesoCs (4.638 S cm-1) is believed to result in their higher electrical conductivity than that of pristine carbon nanofibers (3.0759 S cm-1). Without employment of any binders and metal foams, the cathode of CNF@mesoCs exhibits high discharge capacity of 4000 mA h g-1, which is much higher than that from pristine carbon nanofibers (2750 mA h g-1). This work demonstrates that the fabricated CNF@mesoCs structures have a great potential to be employed as light-weight and efficient electrode for energy storage and conversion devices.

Indoor organic gaseous pollution is a global health problem, which seriously threats the health and life of human all over the world. Hence, it is important to fabricate new sensing materials with high sensitivity and efficiency for indoor volatile organic compounds. In this study, a series of ordered mesoporous silica-based nanocomposites with uniform carbon coatings on the internal surface of silica mesopore channels were synthesized through a simple template-carbonization strategy. The obtained mesoporous silica-carbon nanocomposites not only possess ordered mesostructures, high surface areas (up to ∼759m(2)g(-1)), large and tunable pore sizes (2.6-10.2nm), but also have the improved hydrophobicity and anti-interference capability to environmental humidity. The sensing performances of the mesoporous silica-carbon nanocomposites to volatile organic compounds, such as ethylbenzene, methylbenzene, benzene, methanol, acetone, formaldehyde, dichloromethane and tetrahydrofuran, were systematically investigated. The relationships between the sensing performances and their properties, including mesostructures, surface areas, pore sizes, carbon contents and surface hydrophilic/hydrophobic interactions, have been achieved. The mesoporous silica-carbon nanocomposites with hexagonal mesostructure exhibit outstanding performance at room temperature to benzene and acetone with high responses, short response (2-3s) and recovery (16-19s) time, strong anti-interference to environmental humidity, and long-term stability (less than ∼5% loss of the frequency shifts after 42days). Therefore, the obtained mesoporous silica-carbon nanocomposites have a hopeful prospect in the field of environmental air quality monitoring. PMID:27240244

Self-Assembly Synthesis and Functionalization of MesoporousCarbon Materials for Energy-Related Applications Sheng Dai Chemical Sciences Division, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, Oak Ridge, TN, 37831-6201 Porous carbon materials are ubiquitous in separation, catalysis, and energy storage/conversion. Well-defined mesoporouscarbon materials are essential for a number of the aforementioned applications. Ordered porous carbon materials have previously been synthesized using colloidal crystals and presynthesized mesoporous silicas as hard templates. The mesostructures of these carbon materials are connected via ultrathin carbon filaments and can readily collapse under high-temperature conditions. Furthermore, these hard-template methodologies are extremely difficult to adapt to the fabrication of large-scale ordered nanoporous films or monoliths with controlled pore orientations. More recently, my research group at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory and several others around the world have developed alternative methods for synthesis of highly ordered mesoporouscarbons via self-assembly. Unlike the mesoporouscarbons synthesized via hard-template methods, these mesoporouscarbons are highly stable and can be graphitized at high temperature (>2800ᵒC) without significant loss of mesopores. The surface properties of these materials can be further tailored via surface functionalization. This seminar will provide an overview and perspective of the mesoporouscarbon materials derived from soft-template synthesis and surface functionalization and their fascinating applications in catalysis, separation, and energy storage devices. Dr. Sheng Dai got his B.S. and M.S. degrees from Zhejiang University in 1984 and 1986, respectively. He subsequently obtained a PhD degree from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in 1990. He is currently a Senior Staff Scientist and Group Leader of Nanomaterials Group and Center for Nanophase Materials Science of Oak Ridge National Laboratory and

A hierarchical meso-/micro-porous graphitized carbon with uniform mesopores and ordered micropores, graphitized frameworks, and extra-high surface area of ∼2200 m{sup 2}/g, was successfully synthesized through a simple one-step chemical vapor deposition process. The commercial mesoporous zeolite Y was utilized as a meso-/ micro-porous template, and the small-molecule methane was employed as a carbon precursor. The as-prepared hierarchical meso-/micro-porous carbons have homogeneously distributed mesopores as a host for electrolyte, which facilitate Li{sup +} ions transport to the large-area micropores, resulting a high reversible lithium ion storage of 1000 mA h/g and a high columbic efficiency of 65% at the first cycle.

A new porous composite nanofiber manufacturing route, combining electrospinning and foaming processes, was developed. In this process, aluminum acetylacetonate (AACA) was introduced as the foaming agent in nanofibers made of polyacrylonitrile (PAN)/silicon (Si) nanoparticles. PAN/Si composite nanofibers were first produced through an electrospinning process and mesopores were then generated by foaming nanofibers via AACA sublimation. After further carbonization, the obtained mesoporouscarbon/silicon composite nanofiber mats were tested as the anode material for lithium ion batteries. Within this composite anode, mesopores provide needed buffering space to accommodate the large volume expansion and consequent stress induced inside silicon during lithiation. This effectively mitigates silicon pulverization issue and helps achieve higher reversible capacity and better capacity retention in later battery tests when compared with anodes made of nonporous composites nanofibers and carbon nanofibers alone.

Hierarchically organized mesoporouscarbon-TiO2 inverse opal nanostructures were synthesized by complementary colloid and block copolymer (BCP) self-assembly, where the triblock copolymer P123 acts simultaneously as the template and the carbon source. Highly ordered mesoporous inverse opal nanostructures with a nano-textured surface morphology and multiple-length scale nanopores provide increased light-activated surface area and scattering effects, leading to enhanced photoabsorption efficiency and the transport of matter. UV-vis absorption, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and Mott-Schottky measurement studies show that incorporation of carbon moieties into TiO2via direct conversion of BCPs creates a new energy level above the valence band of TiO2, resulting in an effective decrease in the band gap. A significantly enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity was demonstrated for the mesoporouscarbon-TiO2 inverse opals in terms of the degradation of p-nitrophenol (~79%) and photoelectrochemical water splitting (~0.087%). PMID:24695759

Here we report a method to fabricate porous carbon with small mesopores around 2-4 nm by simple activation of charcoals derived from carbonization of seaweed consisting of microcrystalline domains formed by the "egg-box" model. The existence of mesopores in charcoals leads to a high specific surface area up to 3270 m(2) g(-1), with 95% surface area provided by small mesopores. This special pore structure shows high adaptability when used as electrode materials for an electric double layer capacitor, especially at high charge-discharge rate. The gravimetric capacitance values of the porous carbon are 425 and 210 F g(-1) and volumetric capacitance values are 242 and 120 F cm(-3) in 1 M H2SO4 and 1 M TEA BF4/AN, respectively. The capacitances even remain at 280 F g(-1) (160 F cm(-3)) at 100 A g(-1) and 156 F g(-1) (90 F cm(-3)) at 50 A g(-1) in the aqueous and organic electrolytes, demonstrating excellent high-rate capacitive performance. PMID:26418602

The electrochemical properties of the ordered three-dimensional (3D) mesoporouscarbon, synthesized by using mesoporous silica (FDU-5) as a hard template from an impregnation procedure, has been firstly explored as an anode material for lithium-ion batteries. The material presents uniform pore size of 7.4 nm, BET surface area of 750 m 2/g. As a novel nano-material C-FDU-5 shows almost constant resistance and Li + diffusion coefficient when the potential is lower than the critical potential. The material also presents a reversible capacity higher than that of carbon nanotubes, and can be charge/discharged at the large current rate.

PdCl2-loading mesoporous copper oxide (PdCl2/mCuO) catalysts were successfully synthesized via a hard template with copper carbonate basic (Cu2(OH)2CO3), cupric nitrate (Cu(NO3)2·3H2O) and copper citrate (Cu2C6H4O7·2.5H2O) as the copper(II) precursors, respectively. Their catalytic performances were investigated in the synthesis of diethyl carbonate (DEC) by oxidative carbonylation of ethanol with CO and O2. The catalysts were characterized by TGA, XRD, nitrogen adsorption-desorption analysis and SEM with the aim of establishing their composition, morphology and structure. It was observed that the catalysts all showed a good selectivity to diethyl carbonate. However, due to a better mesoporous structure such as a bigger surface area, more uniform particle size and less agglomeration, the PdCl2/mCuO-1 catalyst prepared with Cu2(OH)2CO3 precursor showed a better catalytic activity that the conversion of EtOH was about 4.8% and the STY of DEC was 97.1 mg g-1 h-1. This was because the highly developed mesoporous structure could generate a bigger surface area, which benefited the contact between reactants and active sites, improved the conversion of ethanol, and thus enhanced the catalytic performance. Furthermore, a synthetic procedure diagram about "wet impregnation" method of mesoporous CuO prepared with Cu2(OH)2CO3 precursor was given to illustrate these results intuitively.

A multi-functional RuO2 nanoparticle-embedded mesoporouscarbon-coated separator is used as an electrocatalytic and adsorbing polysulphide-net to enhance the redox reaction of migrating polysulphides, to improve active material utilization and boost the electrochemical performance of lithium-sulphur batteries. PMID:27270267

Paramagnetic mesoporouscarbon spheres with diameters of 1-3 μm were synthesized through the hydrothermal carbonization of carboxymethylcellulose with nickel acetate, followed by high-temperature carbonization in a N2 atmosphere. Monodisperse Ni particles of average size of 2-5 nm were doped into the carbon matrix, and covered the entrances of pores. Ni particles existed as metallic nickel and nickel oxide with ordered lattice structures. The effect of Ni content on the specific surface area, mesopore percentage, and magnetic and adsorption properties were investigated. The highest vitamin B12 adsorption capacity of 103 mg/g was achieved for the sample prepared using 0.04 g of nickel acetate. The Freundlich and Langmuir isotherm models were used to determine the equilibrium uptakes of vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 was physically adsorbed as a monolayer on the carbon spheres. The carbon spheres were easily separated on account of their magnetism.

Ordered mesoporouscarbon film supporting vanadium oxide nanoparticles has been synthesized via ultrasound-assistant impregnation method with ordered mesoporouscarbon C-FDU15 film as the host and V2O5 sol as the guest precursor. The hybrids exhibit type IV sorption isotherms with H2 hysteresis loop, indicating the well-retained characteristics of ordered mesoporous structure. The capacitance of the materials is enhanced with V2O5 loading. Particularly, the hybrids with 32.26 wt.% V2O5 loading yield an important capacitance of 128 F/g in 1 mol/L KNO3 electrolyte under a potential range from -0.6 V to 0.6 V. The improved specific capacitance of the hybrids is proposed to be the combination of the double-layer capacitance of ordered porous structure and the pseudocapacitance derived from V2O5.

A simple, direct synthesis of a mesoporouscarbon containing pyridine rings is described. This synthesis utilizes the SiCl4 induced cyclotrimerization of 2,6-diacetylpyridine to make a dendritic polymer, built of alternating benzene and pyridine rings. The cyclotrimerization allows for a high degree of crosslinking to take place at low temperatures stabilizing the mesostructure and allowing the carbonization to be carried out at only 600°C, the lowest temperature reported to date for an N-doped mesoporouscarbon. The functional mesoporouscarbon so formed was found to have a surface area of 1275 m2/g, 35Å pores, and contain 6.8% N.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/TiO2 mesoporous networks can be employed as a new alternative photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By using the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous as photoanodes in DSSC, we demonstrate that the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous photoanode is promising alternative to standard FTO/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSC due to larger specific surface area and high electrochemical activity. We also show that iron pyrite (FeS2) thin films can be used as an efficient counter electrode (CE), an alternative to the conventional high cost Pt based CE. We are able to synthesis FeS2 nanostructures utilizing a very cheap and easy hydrothermal growth route. MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with FeS2 CE achieved a high solar conversion efficiency of 7.27% under 100 mW cm‑2 (AM 1.5G 1-Sun) simulated solar irradiance which is considerably (slightly) higher than that of A-CNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with Pt CE. Outstanding performance of the FeS2 CE makes it a very promising choice among the various CE materials used in the conventional DSSC and it is expected to be used more often to achieve higher photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies.

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/TiO2 mesoporous networks can be employed as a new alternative photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By using the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous as photoanodes in DSSC, we demonstrate that the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous photoanode is promising alternative to standard FTO/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSC due to larger specific surface area and high electrochemical activity. We also show that iron pyrite (FeS2) thin films can be used as an efficient counter electrode (CE), an alternative to the conventional high cost Pt based CE. We are able to synthesis FeS2 nanostructures utilizing a very cheap and easy hydrothermal growth route. MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with FeS2 CE achieved a high solar conversion efficiency of 7.27% under 100 mW cm−2 (AM 1.5G 1-Sun) simulated solar irradiance which is considerably (slightly) higher than that of A-CNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with Pt CE. Outstanding performance of the FeS2 CE makes it a very promising choice among the various CE materials used in the conventional DSSC and it is expected to be used more often to achieve higher photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies. PMID:27243374

Multi-walled carbon nanotube (MWCNT)/TiO2 mesoporous networks can be employed as a new alternative photoanode in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). By using the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous as photoanodes in DSSC, we demonstrate that the MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous photoanode is promising alternative to standard FTO/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSC due to larger specific surface area and high electrochemical activity. We also show that iron pyrite (FeS2) thin films can be used as an efficient counter electrode (CE), an alternative to the conventional high cost Pt based CE. We are able to synthesis FeS2 nanostructures utilizing a very cheap and easy hydrothermal growth route. MWCNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with FeS2 CE achieved a high solar conversion efficiency of 7.27% under 100 mW cm(-2) (AM 1.5G 1-Sun) simulated solar irradiance which is considerably (slightly) higher than that of A-CNT/TiO2 mesoporous based DSSCs with Pt CE. Outstanding performance of the FeS2 CE makes it a very promising choice among the various CE materials used in the conventional DSSC and it is expected to be used more often to achieve higher photon-to-electron conversion efficiencies. PMID:27243374

Two ordered, soft-templated mesoporouscarbon powders with cubic and hexagonal framework structure and four different commercial, low cost methacrylate-based polymer binders with widely varying physical properties are investigated as screen printed electrodes for glucose sensors using glucose oxidase and ferricyanide as the mediator. Both the chemistry and concentration of the binder in the electrode formulation can significantly impact the performance. Poly(hydroxybutyl methacrylate) as the binder provides hydrophilicity to enable transport of species in the aqueous phase to the carbon surface, but yet is sufficiently hydrophobic to provide mechanical robustness to the sensor. The current from the mesoporouscarbon electrodes can be more than an order of magnitude greater than for a commercial printed carbon electrode (Zensor) with improved sensitivity for model glucose solutions. Even when applying these sensors to rabbit whole blood, the performance of these glucose sensors compares favorably to a standard commercial glucose meter with the lower detection limit of the mesoporous electrode being approximately 20mgdL(-1) despite the lack of a separation membrane to prevent non-specific events; these results suggest that the small pore sizes and high surface areas associated with ordered mesoporouscarbons may effectively decrease some non-specific inferences for electrochemical sensing. PMID:22790696

Nanostructured photoanodes were prepared via a novel combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and mesoporouscarbon (C). Four different photoanodes were synthesized by sol-gel spin coating onto a glassy substrate of fluorine-doped tin oxide. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2, TiO2/C/TiO2, TiO2/C/C/TiO2, and TiO2/C/TiO2/C/TiO2 photoanodes were evaluated by exposing the synthesized photoanodes to UV-visible light. The photocurrent density observed in these photoanodes confirmed that an additional layer of mesoporouscarbon could successfully increase the photocurrent density. The highest photocurrent density of ~1.022 mA cm(-2) at 1 V/saturated calomel electrode was achieved with TiO2/C/C/TiO2 under an illumination intensity of 100 mW cm(-2) from a solar simulator. The highest value of surface roughness was measured for a TiO2/C/C/TiO2 combination owing to the presence of two continuous layers of mesoporouscarbon. The resulting films had a thickness ranging from 1.605 µm to 5.165 µm after the calcination process. The presence of double-layer mesoporouscarbon resulted in a 20% increase in the photocurrent density compared with the TiO2/C/TiO2 combination when only a single mesoporouscarbon layer was employed. The improved performance of these photoanodes can be attributed to the enhanced porosity and increased void space due to the presence of mesoporouscarbon. For the first time, it has been demonstrated here that the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 can be improved by integrating several layers of mesoporouscarbon. Comparison of the rate of removal of humic acid by the prepared photoanodes showed that the highest performance from TiO2/C/C/TiO2 was due to the highest photocurrent density generated. Therefore, this study showed that optimizing the sequence of mesoporouscarbon layers can be a viable and inexpensive method for enhanced humic acid removal. PMID:27574426

Nanostructured photoanodes were prepared via a novel combination of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles and mesoporouscarbon (C). Four different photoanodes were synthesized by sol–gel spin coating onto a glassy substrate of fluorine-doped tin oxide. The photocatalytic activities of TiO2, TiO2/C/TiO2, TiO2/C/C/TiO2, and TiO2/C/TiO2/C/TiO2 photoanodes were evaluated by exposing the synthesized photoanodes to UV–visible light. The photocurrent density observed in these photoanodes confirmed that an additional layer of mesoporouscarbon could successfully increase the photocurrent density. The highest photocurrent density of ~1.022 mA cm−2 at 1 V/saturated calomel electrode was achieved with TiO2/C/C/TiO2 under an illumination intensity of 100 mW cm−2 from a solar simulator. The highest value of surface roughness was measured for a TiO2/C/C/TiO2 combination owing to the presence of two continuous layers of mesoporouscarbon. The resulting films had a thickness ranging from 1.605 µm to 5.165 µm after the calcination process. The presence of double-layer mesoporouscarbon resulted in a 20% increase in the photocurrent density compared with the TiO2/C/TiO2 combination when only a single mesoporouscarbon layer was employed. The improved performance of these photoanodes can be attributed to the enhanced porosity and increased void space due to the presence of mesoporouscarbon. For the first time, it has been demonstrated here that the photoelectrochemical performance of TiO2 can be improved by integrating several layers of mesoporouscarbon. Comparison of the rate of removal of humic acid by the prepared photoanodes showed that the highest performance from TiO2/C/C/TiO2 was due to the highest photocurrent density generated. Therefore, this study showed that optimizing the sequence of mesoporouscarbon layers can be a viable and inexpensive method for enhanced humic acid removal. PMID:27574426

This paper presents a soft templating approach for mesoporouscarbon using the polyphenolic heterogeneous biomass, chestnut tannin, as the carbon precursor. By varying synthesis parameters such as tannin:surfactant ratio, cross-linker, reaction time and acid catalyst, the pore structure could be controllably modulated from lamellar to a more ordered hexagonal array. Carbonization at 600 °C under nitrogen produced a bimodal micro-mesoporous carbonaceous material exhibiting enhanced hydrogen bonding with the soft template, similar to that shown by soft-templating of phenolic-formaldehyde resins, allowing for a tailorable pore size. By utilizing the acidic nature of chestnut tannin (i.e. gallic and ellagic acid), hexagonal-type mesostructuresmore » were formed without the use of an acid catalyst. The porous carbon materials were activated with ammonia to increase the available surface area and incorporate nitrogen-containing functionality which led to a maximum CO2 adsorption capacity at 1 bar of 3.44 mmol/g and 2.27 mmol/g at 0 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The ammonia-activatedcarbon exhibited multiple peaks in the adsorption energy distribution which indicates heterogeneity of adsorption sites for CO2 capture.« less

This paper presents a soft templating approach for mesoporouscarbon using the polyphenolic heterogeneous biomass, chestnut tannin, as the carbon precursor. By varying synthesis parameters such as tannin:surfactant ratio, cross-linker, reaction time and acid catalyst, the pore structure could be controllably modulated from lamellar to a more ordered hexagonal array. Carbonization at 600 °C under nitrogen produced a bimodal micro-mesoporous carbonaceous material exhibiting enhanced hydrogen bonding with the soft template, similar to that shown by soft-templating of phenolic-formaldehyde resins, allowing for a tailorable pore size. By utilizing the acidic nature of chestnut tannin (i.e. gallic and ellagic acid), hexagonal-type mesostructures were formed without the use of an acid catalyst. The porous carbon materials were activated with ammonia to increase the available surface area and incorporate nitrogen-containing functionality which led to a maximum CO2 adsorption capacity at 1 bar of 3.44 mmol/g and 2.27 mmol/g at 0 °C and 25 °C, respectively. The ammonia-activatedcarbon exhibited multiple peaks in the adsorption energy distribution which indicates heterogeneity of adsorption sites for CO2 capture.

Highlights: ► Mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolites. ► The strong acidic intensity. ► High activity for the alkylation of phenol and tert-butyl alcohol. ► Remarkable hydrothermal stability. - Abstract: A novel mesoporous ZSM-5 zeolite was hydrothermally synthesized using glucose as a template. Characterizations by XRD, TEM and nitrogen isotherms indicated that ZSM-5 possessed worm-like mesoporous. {sup 27}Al-MAS-NMR and NH{sub 3}-TPD showed that the mesoporous ZSM-5 preserved tetrahedral coordination aluminum and stronger acidity than conventional mesoporous material. As-prepared mesoporous ZSM-5 was successfully used in alkylation reaction of phenol with tert-butanol and exhibited significantly high phenol conversion and 2,4-DTBP selectivity. In addition, the hydrothermal stability was also studied by boiling in water for 7 days and displayed good results.

The naturally occurring polyphenol resveratrol (RES) has attracted increasing attention in recent years due to its antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, and anticancer activity. However, resveratrol's promising potential as a nutraceutical is hindered by its poor aqueous solubility, which limits its biological activity. Here we show that encapsulating resveratrol in colloidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-48-RES) enhances its saturated solubility by ∼95% and increases its in vitro release kinetics compared to pure resveratrol. MCM-48-RES showed high loading capacity (20% w/w) and excellent encapsulation efficiency (100%). When tested against HT-29 and LS147T colon cancer cell lines, MCM-48-RES-mediated in vitro cell death was higher than that of pure resveratrol, mediated via the PARP and cIAP1 pathways. Finally, MCM-48-RES treatment also inhibited lipopolysaccharide-induced NF-κB activation in RAW264.7 cells, demonstrating improved anti-inflammatory activity. More broadly, our observations demonstrate the potential of colloidal mesoporous silica nanoparticles as next generation delivery carriers for hydrophobic nutraceuticals. PMID:27060664

In this report, we rationally designed and fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites by in situ immobilizing ZnIn2S4 nanosheets onto the surface of mesoporous P-doped graphite carbon nitrogen (P-C3N4) nanosheets in a mixed solvothermal environment; their application to the photoreduction of 4-nitroaniline was used to estimate the photocatalytic performance. Different to the template route, here the mesoporous P-C3N4 nanosheets were prepared with a template-free strategy. The as-fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites were systematically characterized by analyzing the phase structure, chemical components, electronic and optical properties and separation of charge carrier pairs. More importantly, these P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures have been proven to be highly efficient visible light responsive photocatalysts for photo-reduction, and meanwhile exhibit excellent photo-stability during recycling runs. The sufficient evidence reveals that the significantly improved photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to the more efficient charge carrier separation based on the construction of a close heterogeneous interface. This work may provide new insights into the utilization of P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites as visible light driven photocatalysts for comprehensive organic transformations in the field of fine chemical engineering. PMID:26815611

Studies on the adsorption characteristics of gold, palladium and platinum on mesoporouscarbon (CMK-3) and sulfur-impregnated mesoporouscarbon (CMK-3/S) evaluated the benefits/drawbacks of the presence of a layer of elemental sulfur inside mesoporouscarbon structures. Adsorption isotherms collected for Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) on those materials suggest that sulfur does enhance the adsorption of those metal ions in mildly acidic environment (pH 3). The isotherms collected in 1 M HCl show that the benefit of sulfur disappears due to the competing influence of large concentration of hydrogen ions on the ion-exchanging mechanism of metal ions sorption on mesoporouscarbon surfaces. The collected acid dependencies illustrate similar adsorption characteristics for CMK-3 and CMK-3/S in 1-5 M HCl concentration range. Sorption of metal ions from diluted aqueous acidic mixtures of actual leached electronic waste demonstrated the feasibility of recovery of gold from such liquors.

Studies on the adsorption characteristics of gold, palladium and platinum on mesoporouscarbon (CMK-3) and sulfur-impregnated mesoporouscarbon (CMK-3/S) evaluated the benefits/drawbacks of the presence of a layer of elemental sulfur inside mesoporouscarbon structures. Adsorption isotherms collected for Au(III), Pd(II) and Pt(IV) on those materials suggest that sulfur does enhance the adsorption of those metal ions in mildly acidic environment (pH 3). The isotherms collected in 1 M HCl show that the benefit of sulfur disappears due to the competing influence of large concentration of hydrogen ions on the ion-exchanging mechanism of metal ions sorption on mesoporouscarbon surfaces.more » The collected acid dependencies illustrate similar adsorption characteristics for CMK-3 and CMK-3/S in 1-5 M HCl concentration range. Sorption of metal ions from diluted aqueous acidic mixtures of actual leached electronic waste demonstrated the feasibility of recovery of gold from such liquors.« less

A hexagonally ordered mesoporouscarbon, CMK-3, was utilized as a support for a Fischer-Tropsch catalyst. Each array of elongated pore structures with Co nanoparticles can be regarded as a nanochannel reactor. Due to the pore confinement and the hydrophobic nature of the support, this catalyst demonstrated excellent catalytic performance. PMID:23482917

In the spirit of the theoretical evolution from the Helmholtz model to the Gouy Chapman Stern model for electric double-layer capacitors, we explored the effect of a diffuse layer on the capacitance of mesoporouscarbon supercapacitors by solving the Poisson Boltzmann (PB) equation in mesopores of diameters from 2 to 20 nm. To evaluate the effect of pore shape, both slit and cylindrical pores were considered. We found that the diffuse layer does not affect the capacitance significantly. For slit pores, the area-normalized capacitance is nearly independent of pore size, which is not experimentally observed for template carbons. In comparison, for cylindrical pores, PB simulations produce a trend of slightly increasing area-normalized capacitance with pore size, similar to that depicted by the electric double-cylinder capacitor model proposed earlier. These results indicate that it is appropriate to approximate the pore shape of mesoporouscarbons as being cylindrical and the electric double-cylinder capacitor model should be used for mesoporouscarbons as a replacement of the traditional Helmholtz model.

Immobilization of laccase from Trametes versicolor was carried out using carbon supports prepared from different lignocellulosic wastes. Enzymes were immobilized by physical adsorption. Taguchi methodology was selected for the design of experiments regarding the preparation of the carbon materials, which included the use of activating agents for the promotion of mesoporosity. A good correlation between the mesopore volumes of the carbon supports and the corresponding laccase loadings attained was observed. Specifically, the chemical activation of pecan nut shell with FeCl3 led to a highly mesoporous material that also behaved as the most efficient support for the immobilization of laccase. This particular laccase/carbon support system was used as biocatalyst for the decolorization of aqueous solutions containing Acid Orange 7. Mass spectrometry coupled to a liquid chromatograph allowed us to identify the products of the dye degradation. PMID:26241936

Mesoporous MnO{sub 2} microstructures with large specific surface area have been successfully synthesized by an in-situ redox precipitation method in the presence of colloidal carbon spheres. The samples of them had much higher specific surface area, pore size and pore volume than those obtained via routes without carbon spheres. The morphology, chemical compositions and porous nature of products were fully characterized. Electrochemical measurements showed that these mesoporous MnO{sub 2} could function well when used as positive electrode materials for supercapacitor. Ideal electrochemical capacitive performances and cyclic stability after 2000 galvanostatic charge-discharge cycles could be observed in 1 M neutral Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} aqueous electrolyte with a working voltage of 1.7 V. - Graphical Abstract: Mesoporous MnO{sub 2} microstructures with large S{sub BET} were successfully synthesized by in-situ redox precipitation method in the presence of colloidal carbon spheres. Electrochemical measurements showed that these mesoporous MnO{sub 2} could be well used as electrode materials for supercapacitor. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Mesoporous MnO{sub 2} was prepared by in-situ redox method assisted by carbon spheres. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer S{sub BET}, pore size and volume were higher than MnO{sub 2} obtained without carbon spheres. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer They could function well when used as electrode materials for supercapacitor. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Ideal capacitive behaviors and long cycling life showed after 2000 charge-discharge.

Graphical abstract: - Highlights: • Self-templated synthesis of tubular CdS. • Cadmium complexes of aliphatic acids sustain the network of mesoporous structures. • Aliphatic acids affect the phase composition and particle size. • Pore size and volume vary with aliphatic acids having different hydrocarbonyl. - Abstract: In this study, mesoporous CdS polycrystallites have been synthesized using aliphatic acids of hexanoic acid, octanoic acid, and oleic acid as coordinating and capping agents, respectively. The fibrous Cd–fatty acid salts act as a template to form the tubular CdS. The organic species are found to be necessary for maintaining the network of mesoporous CdS. The characterization results indicate that the shorter carbon chain length in aliphatic acids favors the wurtzite phase and particle size growth the specific surface area, pore diameter and pore volume show a monotonic raise with increasing carbon chain. The photocatalytic activities of mesoporous CdS tubes exhibit much higher efficiency than those of nanosized CdS powders in decolorizing methylene blue under simulated visible light.

Mesoporouscarbon-Cr2O3 (M-C-Cr2O3) composite was prepared by co-assembly of in-situ formed phenolic resin, chromium precursor, and Pluronic block copolymer under acidic conditions, followed by carbonization at 750oC under Argon. The TEM results confirmed that the Cr2O3 nanoparticles, ranging from 10 to 20 nm, were well dispersed in the matrix of mesoporouscarbon. The composite exhibited an initial reversible capacity of 710 mAh g-1 and good cycling stability, which is mainly due to the synergic effects of carbons within the composites, i.e. confining the crystal growth of Cr2O3 during the high temperature treatment step and buffering the volume change of Cr2O3 during the cycling step. This composite material is a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries.

Porous carbons can be used for the purification of various bio-fluids, including the cleansing blood of inflammatory mediators in conditions such as sepsis or auto-immune diseases. Here we show that the control of pore size in carbons is a key factor to achieving efficient removal of cytokines. In particular, the surface area accessible by the protein governs the rate and effectiveness of the adsorption process. We demonstrate that novel mesoporouscarbon materials synthesized from ternary MAX-phase carbides can be optimized for efficient adsorption of large inflammatory proteins. The synthesized carbons, having tunable pore size with a large volume of slit-shaped mesopores, outperformed all other materials or methods in terms of efficiency of TNF-alpha removal and the results are comparable only with highly specific antibody-antigen interactions. PMID:16914195

In this paper, our effort was focused on preparation and oxygen sensing of luminescence carbon dots (CDs) assembled hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs) and mesoporous silica microspheres (MSMs). MSMs doped with CDs showed shorter response time and recovery time comparing with HMSMs doped with CDs. This feature can be attributed to ordered channel structure of mesoporous carrier which can promote the gas diffusion effectively. While HMSMs doped with CDs shows a higher oxygen quenching response and the degree of quenching reach 80.35%. The response time was determined to be about 7s and the emission intensities of the samples were effectively reduced as the concentration of oxygen increased. These results indicate that the system we have developed can be used for oxygen detection in wide concentration range and is especially accurate for very low oxygen concentrations. The obtained CDs grafted hollow mesoporous silica microspheres (HMSMs) and mesoporous silica microspheres (MSMs) samples appears to be a promising sensing material for environmental detection application and would also find applications in catalyst, electrode, or related fields. PMID:27309945

Electrochemical energy storage devices based on electric double layer capacitors (EDLCs) have received considerable attention due to their high power density and potential for obtaining improved energy density in comparison to the lithium ion battery. Ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) is a promising candidate for use as an EDLC electrode because it has a high specific surface area (SSA), providing a wider charge storage space and size-controllable mesopore structure with a long-range order, suppling high accessibility to the electrolyte ions. However, OMCs fabricated using conventional methods have several drawbacks including low electronic conductivity and long ionic diffusion paths in mesopores. We used nickel nanofoam, which has a relatively small pore (sub-100 nm to subμm) network structure, as a current collector. This provides a significantly shortened electronic/ionic current paths and plentiful surface area, enabling stable and close attachment of OMCs without the use of binders. Thus, we present hierarchical binder-free electrode structures based on OMC/Ni nanofoams. These structures give rise to enhanced specific capacitance and a superior rate capability. We also investigated the mesopore structural effect of OMCs on electrolyte transport by comparing the capacitive performances of collapsed lamellar, cylindrical, and spherical mesopore electrodes. The highly ordered and straightly aligned cylindrical OMCs exhibited the highest specific capacitance and the best rate capability. PMID:27490161

Core-shell-structured mesoporous silica spheres were prepared by using n-octadecyltrimethoxysilane (C18TMS) as the surfactant. Hollow mesoporouscarbon spheres with controllable diameters were fabricated from core-shell-structured mesoporous silica sphere templates by chemical vapor deposition (CVD). By controlling the thickness of the silica shell, hollow carbon spheres (HCSs) with different diameters can be obtained. The use of ethylene as the carbon precursor in the CVD process produces the materials in a single step without the need to remove the surfactant. The mechanism of formation and the role played by the surfactant, C18TMS, are investigated. The materials have large potential in double-layer supercapacitors, and their electrochemical properties were determined. HCSs with thicker mesoporous shells possess a larger surface area, which in turn increases their electrochemical capacitance. The samples prepared at a lower temperature also exhibit increased capacitance as a result of the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) area and larger pore size. PMID:23929713

A voltammetric biosensor based on tyrosinase (TYR) was developed for determination of tyramine. Carbon material (multi-walled carbon nanotubes or mesoporouscarbon CMK-3-type), polycationic polymer-i.e., poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), and Nafion were incorporated into titania dioxide sol (TiO2) to create an immobilization matrix. The features of the formed matrix were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV). The analytical performance of the developed biosensor was evaluated with respect to linear range, sensitivity, limit of detection, long-term stability, repeatability, and reproducibility. The biosensor exhibited electrocatalytic activity toward tyramine oxidation within a linear range from 6 to 130 μM, high sensitivity of 486 μA mM(-1) cm(-2), and limit of detection of 1.5 μM. The apparent Michaelis-Menten constant was calculated to be 66.0 μM indicating a high biological affinity of the developed biosensor for tyramine. Furthermore, its usefulness in determination of tyramine in food product samples was also verified. Graphical abstract Different food samples were analyzed to determine tyramine using biosensor based on tyrosinase. PMID:27209590

Hierarchically ordered mesoporouscarbon/graphene (OMC/G) composites have been fabricated by means of a solvent-evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method. The structures of these composites are characterized by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and nitrogen adsorption-desorption at 77 K. These results indicate that OMC/G composites possess the hierarchically ordered hexagonal p6mm mesostructure with the lattice unit parameter and pore diameter close to 10 nm and 3 nm, respectively. The specific surface area of OMC/G composites after KOH activation is high up to 2109.2 m(2) g(-1), which is significantly greater than OMC after activation (1474.6 m(2) g(-1)). Subsequently, the resulting OMC/G composites as supercapacitor electrode materials exhibit an outstanding capacitance as high as 329.5 F g(-1) in 6 M KOH electrolyte at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1), which is much higher than both OMC (234.2 F g(-1)) and a sample made by mechanical mixing of OMC with graphene (217.7 F g(-1)). In addition, the obtained OMC/G composites display good cyclic stability, and the final capacitance retention is approximately 96% after 5000 cycles. These ordered mesopores in the OMC/G composites are beneficial to the accessibility and rapid diffusion of the electrolyte, while graphene in OMC/G composites can also facilitate the transport of electrons during the processes of charging and discharging owing to its high conductivity, thereby leading to an excellent energy storage performance. The method demonstrated in this work would open up a new route to design and develop graphene-based architectures for supercapacitor applications. PMID:27523568

Mesoporous SAPO-34 single crystals with tunable porosity and Si content have been fast synthesized within 4 hours by a reconstruction strategy, which show excellent hydrothermal stability and MTO catalytic activity. This new strategy is further proven to be applicable to prepare other mesoporous SAPO molecular sieve single crystals. PMID:27101359

Multiwall carbon nanotubes were synthesized from sucrose by a pyrolytic technique using mesoporous MCM-41 silicate templates without transition metal catalysts. The Nanotubes were examined in the carbon/silicate composite and after dissolution of the silicate. High resolution transmission electron microscopy study of the multiwall nanotubes showed them to be 15 nm in diameter, 200 nm in length and close-ended. There was variation in crystallinity with some nanotubes showing disordered wall structures.

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been considered as a key step in energy conversion processes. Here, a novel and simple Mg(OH)2 nanocasting method is adopted to fabricate Co and N co-doped porous graphene-like carbon nanosheets (Co@N-PGCS) by using chitosan as both carbon and N sources. The as-obtained Co@N-PGCS shows a mesopore-dominated structure as well as a high specific surface area (1716 cm2 g-1). As a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards both the ORR and OER, it shows favorable ORR performance compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst with an onset potential of -0.075 V and a half-wave potential of -0.151 V in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Furthermore, it also displays considerable OER properties compared with commercial IrO2. The effective catalytic activity could originate from the introduction of transition metal species and few-layer mesoporouscarbon structures.The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been considered as a key step in energy conversion processes. Here, a novel and simple Mg(OH)2 nanocasting method is adopted to fabricate Co and N co-doped porous graphene-like carbon nanosheets (Co@N-PGCS) by using chitosan as both carbon and N sources. The as-obtained Co@N-PGCS shows a mesopore-dominated structure as well as a high specific surface area (1716 cm2 g-1). As a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards both the ORR and OER, it shows favorable ORR performance compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst with an onset potential of -0.075 V and a half-wave potential of -0.151 V in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Furthermore, it also displays considerable OER properties compared with commercial IrO2. The effective catalytic activity could originate from the introduction of transition metal species and few-layer mesoporouscarbon structures. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: The XPS fitted results, SEM and TEM images, the K-L equation, and some of the electrochemical

H(1) mesoporous platinum surfaces formed by electrodeposition from lyotropic liquid crystalline templates have high electroactive surface areas (up to 60 m(2) g(-1)) provided by the concave surface within their narrow (≈2 nm diameter) pores. In this respect, they are fundamentally different from the flat surfaces of ordinary Pt electrodes or the convex surfaces of high-surface-area Pt nanoparticles. Cyclic voltammetry of H(1) mesoporous Pt films in acid solution is identical to that for polycrystalline Pt, suggesting that the surfaces of the pores are made up of low-index Pt faces. In contrast, CO stripping voltammetry on H(1) mesoporous Pt is significantly different from the corresponding voltammetry on polycrystalline Pt and shows a clear prewave for CO oxidation and the oxidation CO at lower overpotential. These differences in CO stripping are related to the presence of trough sites where the low-index Pt faces that make up the concave surface of the pore walls meet. PMID:20578119

In this report, we rationally designed and fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites by in situ immobilizing ZnIn2S4 nanosheets onto the surface of mesoporous P-doped graphite carbon nitrogen (P-C3N4) nanosheets in a mixed solvothermal environment; their application to the photoreduction of 4-nitroaniline was used to estimate the photocatalytic performance. Different to the template route, here the mesoporous P-C3N4 nanosheets were prepared with a template-free strategy. The as-fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites were systematically characterized by analyzing the phase structure, chemical components, electronic and optical properties and separation of charge carrier pairs. More importantly, these P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 heterostructures have been proven to be highly efficient visible light responsive photocatalysts for photo-reduction, and meanwhile exhibit excellent photo-stability during recycling runs. The sufficient evidence reveals that the significantly improved photocatalytic performance is mainly attributed to the more efficient charge carrier separation based on the construction of a close heterogeneous interface. This work may provide new insights into the utilization of P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites as visible light driven photocatalysts for comprehensive organic transformations in the field of fine chemical engineering.In this report, we rationally designed and fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites by in situ immobilizing ZnIn2S4 nanosheets onto the surface of mesoporous P-doped graphite carbon nitrogen (P-C3N4) nanosheets in a mixed solvothermal environment; their application to the photoreduction of 4-nitroaniline was used to estimate the photocatalytic performance. Different to the template route, here the mesoporous P-C3N4 nanosheets were prepared with a template-free strategy. The as-fabricated P-C3N4/ZnIn2S4 nanocomposites were systematically characterized by analyzing the phase structure, chemical components, electronic and optical properties and

A nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon containing a network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was produced for use as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). SiO2 nanoparticles were decorated with clusters of Fe atoms to act as catalyst seeds for CNT growth, after which the material was impregnated with aniline. After polymerization of the aniline, the material was pyrolysed and the SiO2 was removed by acid treatment. The resulting carbon-based hybrid also contained some Fe from the CNT growth catalyst and was doped with N from the aniline. The Fe-N species act as active catalytic sites and the CNT network enables efficient electron transport in the material. Mesopores left by the removal of the SiO2 template provide short transport pathways and easy access to ions. As a result, the catalyst showed not only excellent ORR activity, with 59 mV more positive onset potential and 30 mV more positive half-wave potential than a Pt/C catalyst, but also much longer durability and stronger tolerance to methanol crossover than a Pt/C catalyst.A nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon containing a network of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) was produced for use as a catalyst for the oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). SiO2 nanoparticles were decorated with clusters of Fe atoms to act as catalyst seeds for CNT growth, after which the material was impregnated with aniline. After polymerization of the aniline, the material was pyrolysed and the SiO2 was removed by acid treatment. The resulting carbon-based hybrid also contained some Fe from the CNT growth catalyst and was doped with N from the aniline. The Fe-N species act as active catalytic sites and the CNT network enables efficient electron transport in the material. Mesopores left by the removal of the SiO2 template provide short transport pathways and easy access to ions. As a result, the catalyst showed not only excellent ORR activity, with 59 mV more positive onset potential and 30 mV more positive half-wave potential than a Pt/C catalyst

The study of coating mesoporouscarbon materials with titanium oxide nanoparticles is now becoming a promising and challenging area of research. To optimize the use of carbon materials in various applications, it is necessary to attach functional groups or other nanostructures to their surface. The combination of the distinctive properties of mesoporouscarbon materials and titanium oxide is expected to be applied in field emission displays, nanoelectronic devices, novel catalysts, and polymer or ceramic reinforcement. But, their synthesis is still largely based on conventional techniques, such as wet impregnation followed by chemical reduction of the metal nanoparticle precursors, which takes time and money. The thermal heating based techniques are time consuming and often lack control of particle size and morphology. Hence, since there is a growing interest in microwave technology, an alternative way of power input into chemical reactions through dielectric heating is the use of microwaves. This work is focused on the advantages of microwave-assisted synthesis of TiO2-coated mesoporouscarbon over conventional thermal heating method. The reviewed studies showed that the microwave-assisted synthesis of such composites allows processes to be completed within a shorter reaction time allowing the nanoparticles formation with superior properties than that obtained by conventional method. PMID:24997254

Mesoporous and hollow carbon microspheres embedded with magnetic nanoparticles (denoted as MHM) were prepared via a facile self-sacrificial method for rapid capture of low-abundant peptides from complex biological samples. The morphology, structure, surface property, and magnetism were well-characterized. The hollow magnetic carbon microspheres have a saturation magnetization value of 130.2 emu g(-1) at room temperature and a Brunauer-Emmett-Teller specific surface area of 48.8 m(2) g(-1) with an average pore size of 9.2 nm for the mesoporouscarbon shell. The effectiveness of these MHM affinity microspheres for capture of low-concentration peptides was evaluated by standard peptides, complex protein digests, and real biological samples. These multifunctional hollow carbon microspheres can realize rapid capture and convenient separation of low-concentration peptides. They were validated to have better performance than magnetic mesoporous silica and commercial peptide-enrichment products. In addition, they can be easily recycled and present excellent reusability. Therefore, it is expected that this work may provide a promising tool for high-throughput discovery of peptide biomarkers from biological samples for disease diagnosis and other biomedical applications. PMID:24992375

Mesoporous and hollow carbon microspheres embedded with magnetic nanoparticles (denoted as MHM) were prepared via a facile self-sacrificial method for rapid capture of low-abundant peptides from complex biological samples. The morphology, structure, surface property, and magnetism were well-characterized. The hollow magnetic carbon microspheres have a saturation magnetization value of 130.2 emu g–1 at room temperature and a Brunauer–Emmett–Teller specific surface area of 48.8 m2 g–1 with an average pore size of 9.2 nm for the mesoporouscarbon shell. The effectiveness of these MHM affinity microspheres for capture of low-concentration peptides was evaluated by standard peptides, complex protein digests, and real biological samples. These multifunctional hollow carbon microspheres can realize rapid capture and convenient separation of low-concentration peptides. They were validated to have better performance than magnetic mesoporous silica and commercial peptide-enrichment products. In addition, they can be easily recycled and present excellent reusability. Therefore, it is expected that this work may provide a promising tool for high-throughput discovery of peptide biomarkers from biological samples for disease diagnosis and other biomedical applications. PMID:24992375

Activecarbons were prepared by the steam activation of a brown coal char. The activecarbon with mesopores showed greater adsorption selectivity for asphaltenes. The activecarbon was effective at suppressing coke formation, even with the high hydrocracking conversion of vacuum residue. The analysis of the change in the composition of saturates, aromatics, resins, and asphaltenes in the cracked residue with conversion demonstrated the ability of activecarbon to restrict the transformation of asphaltenes to coke. The activecarbon that was richer in mesopores was presumably more effective at providing adsorption sites for the hydrocarbon free-radicals generated initially during thermal cracking to prevent them from coupling and polycondensing.

To prepare materials with high CO2 adsorption, a series of hierarchical LTA zeolites possessing various mesopore spaces that are decorated with alkylamines was designed and synthesized. The highest CO2 uptake capacity was achieved when (3-aminopropyl)trimethoxysilane (APTMS) was grafted onto the hierarchical LTA zeolite having the largest mesopores. Owing to the contributions of both alkylamine groups grafted onto the mesopore surfaces and active sites in the LTA zeolites, the amount of CO2 that can be taken up on these materials is much higher than for conventional aminosilicas such SBA-15 and MCM-41. Furthermore, the adsorbent shows good CO2 uptake capacity and recyclability in dynamic flow conditions. PMID:26833434

The oxygen reduction reaction (ORR) and oxygen evolution reaction (OER) have been considered as a key step in energy conversion processes. Here, a novel and simple Mg(OH)2 nanocasting method is adopted to fabricate Co and N co-doped porous graphene-like carbon nanosheets (Co@N-PGCS) by using chitosan as both carbon and N sources. The as-obtained Co@N-PGCS shows a mesopore-dominated structure as well as a high specific surface area (1716 cm(2) g(-1)). As a bifunctional electrocatalyst towards both the ORR and OER, it shows favorable ORR performance compared with the commercial Pt/C catalyst with an onset potential of -0.075 V and a half-wave potential of -0.151 V in 0.1 M KOH solutions. Furthermore, it also displays considerable OER properties compared with commercial IrO2. The effective catalytic activity could originate from the introduction of transition metal species and few-layer mesoporouscarbon structures. PMID:27341409

A zirconia/multi-walled carbon nanotube (ZrO2/MWCNT) mesoporous composite was fabricated via a simple method using a hydrothermal process with the aid of the cationic surfactant cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB). Transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N2 adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FT-IR) and X-ray diffraction (XRD) techniques were used to characterize the as-made samples. The cubic ZrO2 nanocrystallites were observed to overlay the surface of MWCNTs, which resulted in the formation of a novel mesoporous-nanotube composite. On the basis of a TEM analysis of the products from controlled experiment, the role of the acid-treated MWCNTs and CTAB was proposed to explain the formation of the mesoporous-nanotube structure. The as-made composite possessed novel properties, such as a high surface area (312 m(2)·g(-1)) and a bimodal mesoporous structure (3.18 nm and 12.4 nm). It was concluded that this composite has important application value due to its one-dimensional hollow structure, excellent electric conductivity and large surface area. PMID:23910298

Templated mesoporouscarbons designed around the pyridine functionality have been made using the cyclotrimerization of a variety of diethynylpyridines. The substitution pattern of the ethynyl moieties about the pyridine ring system was found to have a significant impact on the structure and properties of the final product. A model is proposed that focuses on the self-assembly of the diethynylpyridine monomer on the silica surface, and the order and orientation of the ethynyl moieties within this monolayer.

The hydrogenation of levulinic acid has been studied using Ru supported on ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) prepared by soft-templating. P- and S-containing acid groups were introduced by postsynthetic functionalization before the addition of 1% Ru by incipient wetness impregnation. These functionalities and the reaction conditions mediate the activity and selectivity of the levulinic acid hydrogenation. The presence of Scontaining groups (Ru/OMC-S and Ru/OMC-P/S) deactivates the Ru catalysts strongly, whereas the presence of P-containing groups (Ru/OMC-P) enhances the activity compared to that of pristine Ru/OMC. Under mild conditions (70 8C and 7 bar H2) the catalyst shows high selectivity to g-valerolactonemore » (GVL; >95%) and high stability on recycling. However, under more severe conditions (200 8C and pH2=40 bar) Ru/OMC-P is particularly able to promote GVL ring-opening and the consecutive hydrogenation to pentanoic acid.« less

The hydrogenation of levulinic acid has been studied using Ru supported on ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) prepared by soft-templating. P- and S-containing acid groups were introduced by postsynthetic functionalization before the addition of 1% Ru by incipient wetness impregnation. These functionalities and the reaction conditions mediate the activity and selectivity of the levulinic acid hydrogenation. The presence of Scontaining groups (Ru/OMC-S and Ru/OMC-P/S) deactivates the Ru catalysts strongly, whereas the presence of P-containing groups (Ru/OMC-P) enhances the activity compared to that of pristine Ru/OMC. Under mild conditions (70 8C and 7 bar H2) the catalyst shows high selectivity to g-valerolactone (GVL; >95%) and high stability on recycling. However, under more severe conditions (200 8C and pH2=40 bar) Ru/OMC-P is particularly able to promote GVL ring-opening and the consecutive hydrogenation to pentanoic acid.

The hydrogenation of levulinic acid has been studied using Ru supported on ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) prepared by soft-templating. P- and S-containing acid groups were introduced by postsynthetic functionalization before the addition of 1 % Ru by incipient wetness impregnation. These functionalities and the reaction conditions mediate the activity and selectivity of the levulinic acid hydrogenation. The presence of S-containing groups (Ru/OMC-S and Ru/OMC-P/S) deactivates the Ru catalysts strongly, whereas the presence of P-containing groups (Ru/OMC-P) enhances the activity compared to that of pristine Ru/OMC. Under mild conditions (70 °C and 7 bar H2 ) the catalyst shows high selectivity to γ-valerolactone (GVL; >95 %) and high stability on recycling. However, under more severe conditions (200 °C and p H 2=40 bar) Ru/OMC-P is particularly able to promote GVL ring-opening and the consecutive hydrogenation to pentanoic acid. PMID:26089180

Highlights: • Wormholelike carbon (WMC) with controllable nanostructure is prepared by sol–gel method. • The reversible capacity of WMC is much higher than that of many other reported nanocarbons. • The effect of pore diameter on Li storage capacity is investigated. - Abstract: A class of mesoporous wormholelike carbon (WMC) with controllable nanostructure was prepared by sol–gel method and then used as the anode material of lithium-ion batteries. Based on the experimental results, it is found that the nanostructure of the as-prepared WMC plays an important role in the electrochemical performances. A suitable mesopore size is necessary for a high performance carbon-based anode material since it can not only guarantee effective mass transport channels but also provide large surface area. As a result, F30 with a mesopore size of 4.4 nm coupled with high surface area of 1077 m{sup 2} g{sup −1} shows a reversible capacity of 630 mAh g{sup −1}, much higher than commercial graphite and many other reported nanocarbons.

Mesoporouscarbon hollow spheres (MCHS) have wide applications, including catalysis, absorption, and energy storage/conversion. Herein, we report a one-pot, surfactant-free synthesis of MCHS using three molecules: resorcinol, formaldehyde, and tetrapropyl orthosilicate. The co-condensation process between the in situ generated silica primary particles and the polymer oligomers is regulated, leading to monodispersed MCHS with adjustable pore sizes from micropores to 13.9 nm. The resultant MCHS shows excellent performance for electrochemical double-layer capacitors with high capacitance (310 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1)), excellent rate capability (157 F g(-1) at 50 A g(-1)), and outstanding cycling stability (98.6% capacity retention after 10 000 cycles at 10 A g(-1)). Our one-pot synthesis strategy is versatile and can be extended to fabricate metal oxide@mesoporouscarbon yolk-shell structures in the absence of surfactant, paving the way toward designed synthesis of nanostructured mesoporouscarbon composites for various applications. PMID:27050771

N-doped ordered cubic mesoporouscarbons (N-OCMCs) are synthesized by a one-pot aqueous route from resorcinol and hexamethylenetetramine (HMT) and applied as counter electrode (CE) materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The prepared N-OCMCs with ordered cubic mesoporous structure and large surface area offer appropriate electrolyte ions diffusion channels and abundant catalytically active sites for triiodide reduction. Moreover, the temperature dependence of nitrogen content and the nitrogen-doped types are demonstrated to play decisive roles in regulating the electrocatalytic activity of N-OCMC CEs and affecting the photovoltaic performance of DSSCs. The DSSCs based on the N-OCMC CEs achieve an optimum power conversion efficiency of 5.60%, as high as 86.7% of the cell based on the traditional Pt CE, due to that high N-doping amount, and particularly favorable pyridinic-N and graphtitic-N types promote the charge transport and transfer process of the carbon CE. The good catalytic performance could render N-OCMC as a cost-effective CE candidate to Pt in DSSC.

Carbonic anhydrase (CA) is a native enzyme that facilitates the hydration of carbon dioxide into bicarbonate ions. This study reports the fabrication of thin films of active CA enzyme onto a porous membrane substrate using layer-by-layer (LbL) assembly. Deposition of multilayer films consisting of polyelectrolytes and CA was monitored by quartz crystal microgravimetry, while the enzymatic activity was assayed according to the rates of p-nitrophenylacetate (p-NPA) hydrolysis and CO2 hydration. The fabrication of the films onto a nonporous glass substrate showed CO2 hydration rates of 0.52 ± 0.09 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of bovine CA and 2.6 ± 0.7 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of a thermostable microbial CA. The fabrication of a multilayer film containing the microbial CA on a porous polypropylene membrane increased the hydration rate to 5.3 ± 0.8 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of microbial CA. The addition of mesoporous silica nanoparticles as a film layer prior to enzyme adsorption was found to increase the activity on the polypropylene membranes even further to a rate of 19 ± 4 μmol cm(-2) min(-1) per layer of microbial CA. The LbL treatment of these membranes increased the mass transfer resistance of the membrane but decreased the likelihood of membrane pore wetting. These results have potential application in the absorption of carbon dioxide from combustion flue gases into aqueous solvents using gas-liquid membrane contactors. PMID:25984966

Nanocomposites of NiFex embedded in ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) (x = 0, 1, 2) were prepared by a wet impregnation and hydrogen reduction process and were used to construct electrochemical biosensors for the amperometric detection of hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) or glucose. The NiFe2/OMC nanocomposites were demonstrated to have a large surface area, suitable mesoporous channels, many edge-plane-like defective sites, and a good distribution of alloyed nanoparticles. The NiFe2/OMC and Nafion modified glass carbon electrode (GCE) exhibited excellent electrocatalytic activities toward the reduction of H2O2 as well. By utilizing it as a bioplatform, GOx (glucose oxidase) cross-linked with Nafion was immobilized on the surface of the electrode for the construction of an amperometric glucose biosensor. Our results indicated that the amperometric hydrogen peroxide biosensor (NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE) showed good analytical performances in term of a high sensitivity of 4.29 μA mM(-1) cm(-2), wide linearity from 6.2 to 42,710 μM and a low detection limit of 0.24 μM at a signal-to-noise ratio of 3 (S/N = 3). This biosensor exhibited excellent selectivity, high stability and negligible interference for the detection of H2O2. In addition, the immobilized enzyme on NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE, retaining its bioactivity, exhibited a reversible two-proton and two-electron transfer reaction, a fast heterogeneous electron transfer rate and an effective Michaelis-Menten constant (K) (3.18 mM). The GOx + NiFe2/OMC + Nafion + GCE could be used to detect glucose based on the oxidation of glucose catalyzed by GOx and exhibited a wide detection range of 48.6-12,500 μM with a high sensitivity of 6.9 μA mM(-1) cm(-2) and a low detection limit of 2.7 μM (S/N = 3). The enzymic biosensor maintained a high selectivity and stability features, and shows great promise for application in the detection of glucose. PMID:25429370

We report a new solution deposition method to synthesize an unprecedented type of two-dimensional ordered mesoporouscarbon nanosheets via a controlled low-concentration monomicelle close-packing assembly approach. These obtained carbon nanosheets possess only one layer of ordered mesopores on the surface of a substrate, typically the inner walls of anodic aluminum oxide pore channels, and can be further converted into mesoporous graphene nanosheets by carbonization. The atomically flat graphene layers with mesopores provide high surface area for lithium ion adsorption and intercalation, while the ordered mesopores perpendicular to the graphene layer enable efficient ion transport as well as volume expansion flexibility, thus representing a unique orthogonal architecture for excellent lithium ion storage capacity and cycling performance. Lithium ion battery anodes made of the mesoporous graphene nanosheets have exhibited an excellent reversible capacity of 1040 mAh/g at 100 mA/g, and they can retain at 833 mAh/g even after numerous cycles at varied current densities. Even at a large current density of 5 A/g, the reversible capacity is retained around 255 mAh/g, larger than for most other porous carbon-based anodes previously reported, suggesting a remarkably promising candidate for energy storage. PMID:23282081

Nitrogen doping in carbon matrix can effectively improve the wettability of electrolyte and increase electric conductivity of carbon by ensuring fast transfer of ions. We synthesized a series of nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbons (CPANs) via in situ polymerization of polyacrylonitrile (PAN) in SBA-15 template followed by carbonization at different temperatures. Carbonization results in the formation of ladder structure which enhances the stability of the matrix. In this study, CPAN-800, carbon matrix synthesized by the carbonization at 800 °C, was found to possess many desirable properties such as high specific surface area and pore volume, moderate nitrogen content, and highly ordered mesoporous structure. Therefore, it was used to prepare S/CPAN-800 composite as cathode material in lithium sulfur (Li-S) batteries. The S/CPAN-800 composite was proved to be an excellent material for Li-S cells which delivered a high initial discharge capacity of 1585 mAh g-1 and enhanced capacity retention of 862 mAh g-1 at 0.1 C after 100 cycles.

We use a selection of wood-based and coconut-based activatedcarbons to investigate the factors controlling the removal of the hepatotoxin microcystin-LR (m-LR) from aqueous solutions. The wood carbons contain both micropores and mesopores. The coconut carbons contain micropores only. Confirming previously published observations, we also find that the wood-based carbons adsorb more microcystin than the coconut-based carbons. From a combination of a judicious modification of a wood-based carbon's surface chemistry and of the solution chemistry, we demonstrate that both surface and solution chemistry play minor roles in the adsorption process, with the adsorbent surface chemistry exhibiting less influence than the solution chemistry. Conformational changes at low solution pH probably contribute to the observed increase in adsorption by both classes of adsorbent. At the solution pH of 2.5, the coconut-based carbons exhibit a 400% increased affinity for m-LR compared with 100% increases for the wood-based carbons. In an analysis of the thermodynamics of adsorption, using multiple temperature adsorption chromatography methods, we indicate that m-LR adsorption is an entropy-driven process for each of the carbons, except the most hydrophilic and mesoporouscarbon, B1. In this case, exothermic enthalpy contributions to adsorption also exist. From our overall observations, since m-LR contains molecular dimensions in the secondary micropore width range, we demonstrate that it is important to consider both the secondary micropore and the mesopore volumes for the adsorption of m-LR from aqueous solutions. Copyright 2001 Academic Press. PMID:11446779

MoS2 nanocrystals embedded in mesoporouscarbon nanofibers are synthesized through an electrospinning process followed by calcination. The resultant nanofibers are 100-150 nm in diameter and constructed from MoS2 nanocrystals with a lateral diameter of around 7 nm with specific surface areas of 135.9 m(2) g(-1) . The MoS2 @C nanofibers are treated at 450 °C in H2 and comparison samples annealed at 800 °C in N2 . The heat treatments are designed to achieve good crystallinity and desired mesoporous microstructure, resulting in enhanced electrochemical performance. The small amount of oxygen in the nanofibers annealed in H2 contributes to obtaining a lower internal resistance, and thus, improving the conductivity. The results show that the nanofibers obtained at 450 °C in H2 deliver an extraordinary capacity of 1022 mA h g(-1) and improved cyclic stability, with only 2.3 % capacity loss after 165 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g(-1) , as well as an outstanding rate capability. The greatly improved kinetics and cycling stability of the mesoporous MoS2 @C nanofibers can be attributed to the crosslinked conductive carbon nanofibers, the large specific surface area, the good crystallinity of MoS2 , and the robust mesoporous microstructure. The resulting nanofiber electrodes, with short mass- and charge-transport pathways, improved electrical conductivity, and large contact area exposed to electrolyte, permitting fast diffusional flux of Li ions, explains the improved kinetics of the interfacial charge-transfer reaction and the diffusivity of the MoS2 @C mesoporous nanofibers. It is believed that the integration of MoS2 nanocrystals and mesoporouscarbon nanofibers may have a synergistic effect, giving a promising anode, and widening the applicability range into high performance and mass production in the Li-ion battery market. PMID:26515375

Mesoporous graphene-like nanobowls (GLBs) with high surface area of 1091 m2 g-1, high pore volume of 2.7 cm3 g-1 and average pore diameter of 9.8 nm are synthesized through template method. The GLBs with inherent excellent electrical conductivity and chemical inertia show the properties of well mass transfer, poison resistance and stable loading of smaller Pt particles. Therefore, the Pt/GLB catalyst shows much higher activity and stability than that of commercial Pt/C (TKK) for methanol oxidation reaction (MOR). Therein, the peak current density on Pt/GLB (2075 mA mgPt-1) for MOR is 2.87 times that of commercial Pt/C (723 mA mgPt-1); and the onset potential for the MOR on the former is negatively shifted about 160 mV compared with that on the latter. The catalytic performances of the Pt/GLB are also better than those of the Pt loading on mesoporous amorphous carbon nanobowls (Pt/BLC), indicating promotion effect of graphite on Pt catalytic performance.

Recently, hybrid supercapacitors (HSCs), which combine the use of battery and supercapacitor, have been extensively studied in order to satisfy increasing demands for large energy density and high power capability in energy-storage devices. For this purpose, the requirement for anode materials that provide enhanced charge storage sites (high capacity) and accommodate fast charge transport (high rate capability) has increased. Herein, therefore, a preparation of nanocomposite as anode material is presented and an advanced HSC using it is thoroughly analyzed. The HSC comprises a mesoporous Nb2O5/carbon (m-Nb2O5-C) nanocomposite anode synthesized by a simple one-pot method using a block copolymer assisted self-assembly and commercial activatedcarbon (MSP-20) cathode under organic electrolyte. The m-Nb2O5-C anode provides high specific capacity with outstanding rate performance and cyclability, mainly stemming from its enhanced pseudocapacitive behavior through introduction of a carbon-coated mesostructure within a voltage range from 3.0 to 1.1 V (vs Li/Li(+)). The HSC using the m-Nb2O5-C anode and MSP-20 cathode exhibits excellent energy and power densities (74 W h kg(-1) and 18,510 W kg(-1)), with advanced cycle life (capacity retention: ∼90% at 1000 mA g(-1) after 1000 cycles) within potential range from 1.0 to 3.5 V. In particular, we note that the highest power density (18,510 W kg(-1)) of HSC is achieved at 15 W h kg(-1), which is the highest level among similar HSC systems previously reported. With further study, the HSCs developed in this work could be a next-generation energy-storage device, bridging the performance gap between conventional batteries and supercapacitors. PMID:25137384

Surfactant or block copolymer-templated mesoporous films have been extensively explored, but achieving mesostructure coherence and unidirectional orientation over macroscopic dimensions has remained quite challenging for these self-assembled systems. Here, we extend the concepts associated with zone refinement of crystalline materials to soft templated mesoporouscarbon films based on the cooperative assembly of commercial non-ionic surfactants (block copolymers) and phenolic resin oligomers (resol) to provide macroscopic alignment of both cubic (FDU-16) and hexagonal (FDU-15) mesostructures. The average orientation of these mesophases is determined from rotation grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS) measurements. For FDU-15 templated by Pluronic P123, the orientation factor for the zone-annealed film is 0.98 based on the average of the second Legendre polynomial, but this orientation deteriorates significantly during carbonization. Notably, a thermal stabilization step following zone annealing preserves the orientation of the mesostructure during carbonization. The orientation factor for an isotropic cubic structure (FDU-16 templated by Pluronic F127) is only 0.48 (based on the 111 reflection with incident angle 0.15°) for the same zone annealing protocol, but this illustrates the versatility of zone annealing to different mesostructures. Unexpectedly, zone annealing of FDU-15 templated by Pluronic F127 leads to stabilization of the mesostructure through carbonization, whereas this structure collapses fully during carbonization even after extended oven annealing; despite no clear macroscopic orientation of the cylindrical mesostructure from zone annealing. Thermal zone annealing provides a simple methodology to produce highly ordered and macroscopically oriented stable mesoporouscarbon films, but the efficacy is strongly tied to the mobility of the template during the zone annealing.Surfactant or block copolymer-templated mesoporous films have

Mesoporouscarbons are highly porous materials, which show large surface area, chemical inertness and electrochemical performances superior to traditional carbon material. In this study, we report the preparation of nitrogen-doped and undoped mesoporouscarbons by an optimized hard template procedure employing silica as template, sucrose and ammonia as carbon and nitrogen source, respectively. Surface area measurements assert a value of 900 and 600 m(2) g(-1) for the best doped and undoped samples, respectively. Such supports were then thoroughly characterized by surface science and electron microscopy tools. Afterward, they were decorated with Pt and Pd nanoparticles, and it was found that the presence of nitrogen defects plays a significant role in improving the metal particles dimension and dispersion. In fact, when doped supports are used, the resulting metal nanoparticles are smaller (2-4 nm) and less prone to aggregation. Photoemission measurements give evidence of a binding energy shift, which is consistent with the presence of an electronic interaction between nitrogen atoms and the metal nanoparticles, especially in the case of Pd. The catalytic properties of electrodes decorated with such catalyst/support systems were investigated by linear sweep voltammetry and by rotating disk electrode measurements, revealing excellent stability and good activity toward oxygen reduction reaction (ORR). In particular, although Pd nanoparticles always result in lower activity than Pt ones, both Pt and Pd electrodes based on the N-doped supports show an increased activity toward ORR with respect to the undoped ones. At the same mass loading, the Tafel slope and the stability test of the Pt@N-doped electrocatalysts indicate superior performances to that of a commercial Pt@C catalysts (30 wt % Pt on Vulcan XC-72, Johnson Matthey). PMID:25525718

A general confined coassembly process has been demonstrated to produce discrete uniform mesoporouscarbon microspheres with 0.8-1 μm particle size using 3-D-ordered macroporous silica as the template. The obtained mesoporouscarbon microspheres (MC-MSs) have uniform and discrete spherical morphology, variable symmetry (hexagonal p6mm or cubic Im3m) of mesostructures, high specific surface areas (500-1100 m(2)/g), large pore volumes (0.6-2.0 cm(3)/g), and highly accessible large mesopores (7-10.3 nm). The particle size of the carbon microspheres can be easily tuned by simply using templates with different macropore sizes. It was found that the smaller MC-MSs (330 nm) with higher surface-to-volume ratio tend to shape into an integral monolithic MC-MS matrix and larger MC-MSs (>800 nm) with lower surface-to-volume ratio to discrete spherical morphology. This feature is attributed to the difference in shrinkage behavior of mesoporouscarbon spheres confined in the macropores caused by the interaction between the silica wall and carbon microspheres. Adsorption experiments indicate that the cobalt-based nanoparticle-incorporated mesoporouscarbon microspheres exhibit excellent size selectivity for protein adsorption in a complex solution and good magnetic separability for easy recycling. PMID:24044674

A series of high performance ordered mesoporouscarbon/nickel compounds composites have been synthesized by a combination of incipient wetness impregnation and hydrothermal method for the first time. X-ray diffraction (XRD), N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherms and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) are used to characterize the composites derived at the hydrothermal temperature of 125, 150, 175, 200, 250, 275 and 300 {sup o}C. The formation of nanosized nickel compounds, fully inside the mesopore system, was confirmed with XRD and TEM. An N{sub 2} adsorption/desorption isotherms measurements still revealed mesoporosity for the host/guest compounds. It is noteworthy that an OMC/nickel nitrate hydroxide hydrate composite (OMCN-150) exhibits more excellent performance. Based on the various hydrothermal temperatures of the composite, the capacitance of an OMCN-150 delivering the best electrochemical performance is about 2.4 (5 mV s{sup -1}) and 1.5 (50 mV s{sup -1}) times of the pristine OMC. The capacitance retention of an OMCN-150 is 96.1%, which indicates that the electrochemical performance of the supercapacitor is improved greatly, and represents novel research and significant advances in the field of electrode composite materials for supercapacitor. -- Graphical abstract: A series of high performance nickel compound/ordered mesoporouscarbon composites were synthesized by a combination of incipient wetness impregnation and hydrothermal method for the first time. Display Omitted

A novel "dissolution-capture" method for the fabrication of nitrogen-doped hollow mesoporous spherical carbon capsules (N-HMSCCs) with high capability for supercapacitor is developed. The fabrication process is performed by depositing mesoporous silica on the surface of the polyacrylonitrile nanospheres, followed by a dissolution-capture process occurring in the polyacrylonitrile core and silica shell. The polyacrylonitrile core is dissolved by dimethylformamide treatment to form a hollow cavity. Then, the polyacrylonitrile is captured into the mesochannel of silica. After carbonization and etching of silica, N-HMSCCs with uniform mesopore size are produced. The N-HMSCCs show a high specific capacitance of 206.0 F g(-1) at a current density of 1 A g(-1) in 6.0 M KOH due to its unique hollow nanostructure, high surface area, and nitrogen content. In addition, 92.3% of the capacitance of N-HMSCCs still remains after 3000 cycles at 5 A g(-1). The "dissolution-capture" method should give a useful enlightenment for the design of electrode materials for supercapacitor. PMID:27529129

Two kinds of polyaromatics with mesoporous have been synthesized from aromatic hydrocarbons using anhydrous zinc chloride as the Friedel-Crafts catalyst and chloromethyl methyl ether as a cross-linker, after the Pd nanoparticles (PdNPs) decorated on the mesoporouscarbon spheres (Pd@CSs) have been prepared by simply mixing the as-prepared polyaromatics (polynaphthalene or polypyrene) with PdCl2, reducing the Pd2+ to Pd0 by using NaBH4, followed by thermal treatment at 600 degrees C for 5 h in nitrogen atmosphere. The synthesized PdNPs have a uniform size distribution with an average size smaller than 15 nm and they can be loaded on the highly mesoporouscarbon microspheres. Structural of the resulting Pd@CSs were carried out using FE-SEM, HR-TEM, X-ray differaction, dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. The resulting Pd@CSs have been investigated as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol to 4-aminophenol, showing the Pd@CSs have high catalytic reactivity and recyclability. PMID:25958601

Magnetic mesoporous silica coated carbon nanotubes were produced from hydrophilic monodisperse magnetic nanoparticles decorated carbon nanotubes using well controlled programmed synthesis method and were characterized by TEM, XRD, FTIR, TGA, N2 adsorption-desorption and VSM. The well-designed mesoporous magnetic nanotubes had a large specific area, a highly open mesoporous structure and high magnetization. Firstly, SiO2-coated maghemite/CNTs nanoparticles (CNTs/Fe3O4@SiO2 composites) were synthesized by the combination of high temperature decomposition process and an sol-gel method, in which the iron acetylacetonate as well as TEOS acted as the precursor for maghemite and SiO2, respectively. The CNTs/Fe3O4@SiO2 composites revealed a core-shell structure, Then, CNTs/Fe3O4@mSiO2 was obtained by extracting cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB) via an ion-exchange procedure. The resulting composites show not only a magnetic response to an externally applied magnetic field, but also can be a good adsorbent for the organic pollutant in the ambient temperature.

Batch contact experiments with several porous carbon materials showed that carbon solids spontaneously reduce the oxidation state of plutonium in 1-1.5 M acid solutions, without significant adsorption. The final oxidation state and rate of Pu reduction varies with the solution matrix, and also depends on the surface chemistry and surface area of the carbon. It was demonstrated that acidic Pu(VI) solutions can be reduced to Pu(III) by passing through a column of porous carbon particles, offering an easy alternative to electrolysis with a potentiostat.

Vertically oriented mesoporous silica has proven to be of interest for applications in a variety of fields (e.g., electroanalysis, energy, and nanotechnology). Although glassy carbon is widely used as an electrode material, the adherence of silica deposits is rather poor, causing mechanical instability. A solution to improve the adhesion of mesoporous silica films onto glassy carbon electrodes without compromising the vertical orientation and the order of the mesopores will greatly contribute to the use of this kind of modified carbon electrode. We propose here the electrografting of 3-aminopropyltriethoxysilane on glassy carbon as a molecular glue to improve the mechanical stability of the silica film on the electrode surface without disturbing the vertical orientation and the order of the mesoporous silica obtained by electrochemically assisted self-assembly. These findings are supported by a series of surface chemistry techniques such as X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, and cyclic voltammetry. Finally, methylviologen was used as a model redox probe to investigate the cathodic potential region of both glassy carbon and indium tin oxide electrodes modified with mesoporous silica in order to demonstrate further the interest in the approach developed here. PMID:27065214

The lack of safe, efficient, and economical hydrogen storage technologies is a hindrance to the realization of the hydrogen economy. Reported herein is a reversible formate-based carbon-neutral hydrogen storage system that is established over a novel catalyst comprising palladium nanoparticles supported on nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon. The support was fabricated by a hard template method and nitridated under a flow of ammonia. Detailed analyses demonstrate that this bicarbonate/formate redox equilibrium is promoted by the cooperative role of the doped nitrogen functionalities and the well-dispersed, electron-enriched palladium nanoparticles. PMID:26763714

Judicious combination of fluorescence and magnetic properties along with ample drug loading capacity and control release property remains a key challenge in the design of nanotheranostic agents. This paper reports the synthesis of highly hydrophilic optically traceable mesoporouscarbon nanospheres which can sustain payloads of the anticancer drug doxorubicin and T2 contrast agent such as cobalt ferrite nanoparticles. The luminescent magnetic hybrid system has been prepared on a mesoporous silica template using a resorcinol-formaldehyde precursor. The mesoporous matrix shows controlled release of the aromatic drug doxorubicin due to disruption of supramolecular π-π interaction at acidic pH. The particles show MR contrast behavior by affecting the proton relaxation with transverse relaxivity (r2) 380 mM(-1) S(-1). The multicolored emission and upconversion luminescence property of our sample are advantageous in bioimaging. In vitro cell experiments shows that the hybrid nanoparticles are endocyted by the tumor cells through passive targeting. The pH-responsive release of doxorubicin presents chemotherapeutic inhibition of cell growth through induction of apoptosis. PMID:26794061

A new configuration of hydrogen ion supercapacitors was reported. A positive electrode composed of pseudocapacitive MnO2, highly dispersed into active porous carbon through an impregnation method, was combined with a nitrogen-doped highly ordered mesoporouscarbon with enhanced electrochemical hydrogen insertion capacity as a negative electrode. During the operation, hydrogen ion shuttled between MnO2 and carbon electrodes. The MnO2 was formed on the surface of nanostructured carbon through a spontaneous redox reaction. Operating in an aqueous neutral solution, the hybrid device demonstrated an extended working voltage to ∼2.1 V with good cycle life. PMID:25458840

Mesoporouscarbon (MPC) with highly textured, reproducible and uniform structure is prepared by silica-sol template assisted method, as new carbonaceous supercapacitor materials with high energy density. High resolution transmission electron microscopy studies revealed that the MPC consisted of textured structure of carbon on the sheets like domains and exhibited a specific surface area of 1412 m2 g-1. The symmetric supercapacitor of MPC exhibits an excellent cyclability over 5000 cycles and high energy density of 84.6 Wh kg-1, with a cell potential of 1.6 V and a large specific capacitance of 238 F g-1 in neutral electrolyte. The enhanced performance of the carbon material as a supercapacitor electrode is due to the synergetic effect possibly contributed from the fast ion transportation during fast charge/discharge and better utilization of carbon. PMID:26353641

The development of easier, cheaper, and more ecofriendly synthetic methods for mesoporous materials remains a challenging topic to commercialize them, and the transformation of waste glycerol, as a biodiesel byproduct, into something useful and salable is one of the pending issues to be resolved. Here we first report that mesoporous silica (KIE-6) and carbon (KIE-7) can be simultaneously synthesized by using cheap and ecofriendly crude-waste-glycerol of biodiesel with or without glycerol purification, and we demonstrated the excellent performance of the mesoporous material as a catalyst support for formic acid decomposition. As a result, Pd-MnOx catalysts supported on NH2-functionalized KIE-6 showed the highest catalytic activity (TOF: 540.6 h-1) ever reported for room-temperature formic acid decomposition without additives. Moreover, we conducted life-cycle assessment (LCA) from biomass cultivation through biodiesel production to KIE-6 and KIE-7 preparation, and it was confirmed that CO2 emission during synthesis of KIE-6 and KIE-7 could be reduced by 87.1% and 85.7%, respectively. We believe that our study suggested more ecofriendly and industry-friendly approaches for preparation of mesoporous materials, and utilization of waste glycerol.

The development of easier, cheaper, and more ecofriendly synthetic methods for mesoporous materials remains a challenging topic to commercialize them, and the transformation of waste glycerol, as a biodiesel byproduct, into something useful and salable is one of the pending issues to be resolved. Here we first report that mesoporous silica (KIE-6) and carbon (KIE-7) can be simultaneously synthesized by using cheap and ecofriendly crude-waste-glycerol of biodiesel with or without glycerol purification, and we demonstrated the excellent performance of the mesoporous material as a catalyst support for formic acid decomposition. As a result, Pd-MnOx catalysts supported on NH2-functionalized KIE-6 showed the highest catalytic activity (TOF: 540.6 h(-1)) ever reported for room-temperature formic acid decomposition without additives. Moreover, we conducted life-cycle assessment (LCA) from biomass cultivation through biodiesel production to KIE-6 and KIE-7 preparation, and it was confirmed that CO2 emission during synthesis of KIE-6 and KIE-7 could be reduced by 87.1% and 85.7%, respectively. We believe that our study suggested more ecofriendly and industry-friendly approaches for preparation of mesoporous materials, and utilization of waste glycerol. PMID:26515193

The development of easier, cheaper, and more ecofriendly synthetic methods for mesoporous materials remains a challenging topic to commercialize them, and the transformation of waste glycerol, as a biodiesel byproduct, into something useful and salable is one of the pending issues to be resolved. Here we first report that mesoporous silica (KIE-6) and carbon (KIE-7) can be simultaneously synthesized by using cheap and ecofriendly crude-waste-glycerol of biodiesel with or without glycerol purification, and we demonstrated the excellent performance of the mesoporous material as a catalyst support for formic acid decomposition. As a result, Pd-MnOx catalysts supported on NH2-functionalized KIE-6 showed the highest catalytic activity (TOF: 540.6 h−1) ever reported for room-temperature formic acid decomposition without additives. Moreover, we conducted life-cycle assessment (LCA) from biomass cultivation through biodiesel production to KIE-6 and KIE-7 preparation, and it was confirmed that CO2 emission during synthesis of KIE-6 and KIE-7 could be reduced by 87.1% and 85.7%, respectively. We believe that our study suggested more ecofriendly and industry-friendly approaches for preparation of mesoporous materials, and utilization of waste glycerol. PMID:26515193

The discovery of oxygen and carbon monoxide tolerant [NiFe] hydrogenases was the first necessary step toward the definition of a novel generation of hydrogen fed biofuel cells. The next important milestone is now to identify and overcome bottlenecks limiting the current densities, hence the power densities. In the present work we report for the first time a comprehensive study of herringbone carbon nanofiber mesoporous films as platforms for enhanced biooxidation of hydrogen. The 3D network allows mediatorless hydrogen oxidation by the membrane-bound hydrogenase from the hyperthermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus. We investigate the key physico-chemical parameters that enhance the catalytic efficiency, including surface chemistry and hierarchical porosity of the biohybrid film. We also emphasize that the catalytic current is limited by mass transport inside the mesoporouscarbon nanofiber film. Provided hydrogen is supplied inside the carbon film, the combination of the hierarchical porosity of the carbon nanofiber film with the hydrophobicity of the treated carbon material results in very high efficiency of the bioelectrode. By optimization of the whole procedure, current densities as high as 4.5 mA cm(-2) are reached with a turnover frequency of 48 s(-1). This current density is almost 100 times higher than when hydrogenase is simply adsorbed at a bare graphite electrode, and more than 5 times higher than the average of the previous reported current densities at carbon nanotube modified electrodes, suggesting that carbon nanofibers can be efficiently used in future sustainable H2/O2 biofuel cells. PMID:24296569

Materials based upon porous carbon have gained considerable attention due to their high surface area, electric conductivity, thermal and chemical stability, low density, and availability. These superior properties make them ideal for diverse applications. Doping these carbon nanostructures holds promise of designing the properties of these structures and opening the door to practical applications. Herein, we report the preparation of hollow N-doped mesoporouscarbon (HMC) spheres fabricated via polymerization and carbonization of dopamine on a sacrificial spherical SiO2 template that is removed upon hydrofluoric acid etching. The morphology and structural features of these HMCs were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and the N-doping (7.1 at%) was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER) performance of N-doped HMC was evaluated using rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry in an alkaline electrolyte. N-doped HMC demonstrated a high ORR onset potential of -0.055 V (vs. Hg/HgO) and excellent stability. The outstanding bifunctional activity was implemented in a practical Zn-air battery (ZAB), which exhibited a small charge-discharge voltage polarization of 0.89 V and high stability over repeated cycling.Materials based upon porous carbon have gained considerable attention due to their high surface area, electric conductivity, thermal and chemical stability, low density, and availability. These superior properties make them ideal for diverse applications. Doping these carbon nanostructures holds promise of designing the properties of these structures and opening the door to practical applications. Herein, we report the preparation of hollow N-doped mesoporouscarbon (HMC) spheres fabricated via polymerization and carbonization of dopamine on a sacrificial spherical SiO2 template that is removed upon hydrofluoric acid etching. The morphology and structural

A covalent route has been successfully utilized for the surface modification of ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) CMK-3 by in situ polymerization and grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the absence of any solvent. The modified CMK-3 carbon particles have a high loading of 19 wt% poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), named PMMA-g-CMK-3, and also maintain their high surface area and mesoporous structure. The in situ polymerization technique endows a significantly enhanced electric conductivity (0.437 S m-1) of the resulting PMMA-g-CMK-3/PMMA composite, about two orders of magnitude higher than 1.34 × 10-3 S m-1 of PMMA/CMK-3 obtained by the solvent mixing method. A minimum reflection loss (RL) value of -27 dB and a broader absorption band (over 3 GHz) with RL values mesoporous carbons opens up a new method and idea for developing light-weight and high-performance microwave absorbing materials.

A covalent route has been successfully utilized for the surface modification of ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) CMK-3 by in situ polymerization and grafting of methyl methacrylate (MMA) in the absence of any solvent. The modified CMK-3 carbon particles have a high loading of 19 wt% poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), named PMMA-g-CMK-3, and also maintain their high surface area and mesoporous structure. The in situ polymerization technique endows a significantly enhanced electric conductivity (0.437 S m(-1)) of the resulting PMMA-g-CMK-3/PMMA composite, about two orders of magnitude higher than 1.34 × 10(-3) S m(-1) of PMMA/CMK-3 obtained by the solvent mixing method. A minimum reflection loss (RL) value of -27 dB and a broader absorption band (over 3 GHz) with RL values mesoporous carbons opens up a new method and idea for developing light-weight and high-performance microwave absorbing materials. PMID:24170288

High activitymesoporous Pt/Ru catalysts with 2D-hexagonal structure were synthesized using a triblock poly(ethylene oxide)-b-poly(propylene oxide)-b-poly(ethylene oxide) copolymer (Pluronic F127) template. The normalized mass activities for the methanol oxidation reaction (MOR) of the Pt/Ru catalysts with a regular array of pores is higher than those reported for nanoparticulated Pt/Ru catalysts. Different kinetic parameters, as Tafel slope and activation energy, were obtained for the MOR on the mesoporous catalysts. Results indicated that catalysts performance depends on pore size. Mass activities and the CO2 conversion efficiency for large pore size mesoporous catalysts (10 nm) are greater than those reported for smaller pore size mesoporous catalysts with similar composition. The effect of pore size on catalysts performance is related to the greater accessibility of methanol to the active areas inside large pores. Consequently, the overall residence time of methanol increases as compared with mesoporous catalyst with small pores. PMID:24083938

In this paper, a mesoporouscarbon-ZrO2 nanocomposite was fabricated on a stainless steel wire for the first time and used as the solid-phase microextraction coating. The fiber was synthesized with the direct carbonization of a Zr-based metal organic framework. With the utilization of the metal organic framework as the precursor, no additional carbon source was used for the synthesis of the mesoporouscarbon-ZrO2 nanocomposite coating. The fiber was applied for the determination of BTEX compounds (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene and m, p-xylenes) in different water samples prior to gas chromatography-flame ionization detection. Such important experimental factors as synthesis time and temperature, salt concentration, equilibrium and extraction time, extraction temperature, desorption time and desorption temperature were studied and optimized. Good linearity in the concentration range of 0.2-200μgL(-1) and detection limits in the range of 0.05-0.56μgL(-1) was achieved for BTEX compounds. The intra- and inter-day relative standard deviations were in the range of 3.5-4.8% and 4.9-6.7%, respectively. The prepared fiber showed high capability for the analysis of BTEX compounds in different water and wastewater samples with good relative recoveries in the range of 93-107%. PMID:27451259

Graphitic mesoporouscarbon (GMC), prepared through high-temperature graphitization of soft-templated amorphous mesoporouscarbon (AMC), was used as the support for Mn, Li, and Fe triple-promoted Rh catalysts for CO hydrogenation to ethanol. The use of GMC results in C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH selectivity and formation rate comparable to nonporous SiO{sub 2} support along with a significant inhibition on the formation of undesired CH{sub 4} and light hydrocarbons at the expense of appreciable amounts of CO{sub 2} produced. The better catalytic performance of promoted-Rh/GMC than those supported on other carbon allotropes (AMC and non-porous graphitic carbon black) seems to be associated with the specific graphitic structure and mesoporosity of GMC. The surface modification of GMC by wet oxidation leads to considerable increases in C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH selectivity and formation rate. The modified GMC as a support shows substantially greater CO{sub 2}-free selectivity for C{sub 2}H{sub 5}OH than the SiO{sub 2}.

Inspired by the attractive catalytic properties of palladium and the inert nature of carbon supports in catalysis, a concise and simple methodology for in situ nitrogen-doped mesoporous-carbon-supported palladium nanoparticles (Pd/N-C) has been developed by carbonizing a palladium dimethylglyoximate complex. The as-synthesized Pd/N-C has been exfoliated as a fuel cell catalyst by studying the electro-oxidation of methanol and formic acid. The material synthesized at 400 °C,namely, Pd/N-C-400,exhibitssuperior mass activity and stability among catalysts synthesized under different carbonization temperaturesbetween300 and 500 °C. The unique 1D porous structure in Pd/N-C-400 helps better electron transport at the electrode surface, which eventually leads to about five times better catalytic activity and about two times higher stability than that of commercial Pd/C. Thus, our designed sacrificial metal-organic templatedirected pathway becomes a promising technique for Pd/N-C synthesis with superior catalytic performances. PMID:27016895

Ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) nanoscaffolds are engineered agglomerates of carbon nanotubes held together by small carbon nanofibers with uniform pore sizes, high pore volume, and high channel permeability. These materials exhibit very high affinity for the adsorption of gold from aqueous acidic mixtures. The efficiency of gold recovery is comparable to those typically accomplished using biopolymer-based adsorbents. The adsorption efficiency for other precious metals such as palladium and platinum is lower. Studies on the precious metal (Au, Pd) adsorption on OMC materials from actual liquors of leached electronics will be presented. Adsorption properties will be compared for several different sorbents used for the recovery of precious metals. The leach liquor compositions for three different types of electronic scrap materials (personal computer board, cell phone and tv input/output board) will be presented. The sorption efficiencies for Au, Pd, together with a spectrum of competing and non-competing metals, from such leach mixtures will be compared.

As one of the most potential electrode materials for supercapacitors, nitrogen-enriched nanocarbons are still facing challenge of constructing developed mesoporosity for rapid mass transportation and tailoring their pore size for performance optimization and expanding their application scopes. Herein we develop a series of nitrogen-enriched mesoporouscarbon (NMC) with extremely high mesoporosity and tunable mesopore size by a two-step method using silica gel as template. In our approach, mesopore size can be easily tailored from 4.7 to 35 nm by increasing the HF/TEOS volume ratio from 1/100 to 1/4. The NMC with mesopores of 6.2 nm presents the largest mesopore volume, surface area and mesopore ratio of 2.56 cm3 g-1, 1003 m2 g-1 and 97.7%, respectively. As a result, the highest specific capacitance of 325 F g-1 can be obtained at the current density of 0.1 A g-1, which can stay over 88% (286 F g-1) as the current density increases by 100 times (10 A g-1). This approach may open the doors for preparation of nitrogen-enriched nanocarbons with desired nanostructure for numerous applications.

Magnetically active, ordered and stable mesoporouscarbons with partially graphitized networks and controllable surface wettability (PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800) have been synthesized through direct carbonization of Fe or Ni functionalized, and ordered mesoporous polymers at 800°C, which could be synthesized from self assembly of resol (phenol/formaldehyde) with block copolymer template (P123) in presence of Fe3+ or Ni2+, and hydrothermal treatment at 200°C. PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800 possess ordered and uniform mesopores, large BET surface areas, good stabilities, controllable surface wettability and partially graphitized framework. The above structural characteristics result in their enhanced selective adsorption property and good reusability for organic pollutants such as RhB, p-nitrophenol and n-heptane in water, which could be easily regenerated through separation under constant magnetic fields and washing with ethanol solvent. The unique magnetically active and adsorptive property found in PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800 will be very important for them to be used as efficient absorbents for removal of various organic pollutants in water.

Magnetically active, ordered and stable mesoporouscarbons with partially graphitized networks and controllable surface wettability (PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800) have been synthesized through direct carbonization of Fe or Ni functionalized, and ordered mesoporous polymers at 800°C, which could be synthesized from self assembly of resol (phenol/formaldehyde) with block copolymer template (P123) in presence of Fe3+ or Ni2+, and hydrothermal treatment at 200°C. PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800 possess ordered and uniform mesopores, large BET surface areas, good stabilities, controllable surface wettability and partially graphitized framework. The above structural characteristics result in their enhanced selective adsorption property and good reusability for organic pollutants such as RhB, p-nitrophenol and n-heptane in water, which could be easily regenerated through separation under constant magnetic fields and washing with ethanol solvent. The unique magnetically active and adsorptive property found in PR-Fe-P123-800 and PR-Ni-P123-800 will be very important for them to be used as efficient absorbents for removal of various organic pollutants in water.

This paper reports on the catalytic reaction for the conversion of silicon tetrachloride (STC) to trichlorosilane (TCS) over pretreated ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) catalysts by oxygen (denoted as OMC-O2) and hydrochloric acid (denoted as OMC-HCl) at 300 degrees C under N2 atmosphere. The OMC-O2 shows significantly improved the surface area (1341.2 m2/g) and pore volume (1.65 cm3/g), which results in the highest conversion rate of 7.3% as compared to bare OMC (4.3%) and OMC-HCI (5.7%). It is found that the conversion rate of STC to TCS is proportional to the number of Si-O bond over OMC catalysts, which suggests that Si-O-C bond formation is crucial to the reaction as active sites. The O2 pretreatment seems to promote the generation of oxygenated species for the formation of Si-O-C. PMID:27433674

The composites of ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) and graphene nano-sheets (GNS) are prepared by mixing OMC with different weight ratios of GNS, and utilized as counter electrode (CE) materials for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, Tafel polarization, and cyclic voltammetry measurements demonstrate that the OMC/GNS CEs display the enhanced electron transport property and fast reduction rate of I3- in comparison with those of the individual OMC and GNS CEs, due to the combination of superior electrical conductivity of GNS and good catalytic activity of OMC. Under AM 1.5 irradiation (100 mW cm-2), the DSSCs based on the OMC/GNS CEs show a maximum power conversion efficiency of 6.82%, which is comparable to 7.08% of the cell with the conventional Pt CE at the same experimental conditions, suggesting that the OMC/GNS composites are one of advanced CE materials for low-cost DSSCs.

A mesoporouscarbon sphere with the uniform channels (OMC) is employed as the conductive matrix in the sulfur cathode for the lithium sulfur battery based on all-solid-state PEO 18Li(CF 3SO 2) 2N-10 wt%SiO 2 electrolyte. Cyclic voltammograms (CV) and electrochemical impedance spectrum (EIS) suggest that the electrochemical stability of the S-OMCs is obviously superior to the pristine sulfur cathode. The S-OMCs composite shows excellent cycling performance with a reversible discharge capacity of about 800 mAh g -1 after 25 cycles. This would be attributed to an appropriate conductive structure in which the active sulfur is highly dispersed in and contacted with the OMCs matrix.

Mesoporouscarbon adsorbents, having high nitrogen content, were synthesized via nanocasting technique with melamine-formaldehyde resin as precursor and mesoporous silica as template. A series of adsorbents were prepared by varying the carbonization temperature from 400 to 700°C. Adsorbents were characterized thoroughly by nitrogen sorption, X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), elemental (CHN) analysis, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy and Boehm titration. Carbonization temperature controlled the properties of the synthesized adsorbents ranging from surface area to their nitrogen content, which play major role in their application as adsorbents for CO2 capture. The nanostructure of these materials was confirmed by XRD and TEM. Their nitrogen content decreased with an increase in carbonization temperature while other properties like surface area, pore volume, thermal stability and surface basicity increased with the carbonization temperature. These materials were evaluated for CO2 adsorption by fixed-bed column adsorption experiments. Adsorbent synthesized at 700°C was found to have the highest surface area and surface basicity along with maximum CO2 adsorption capacity among the synthesized adsorbents. Breakthrough time and CO2 equilibrium adsorption capacity were investigated from the breakthrough curves and were found to decrease with increase in adsorption temperature. Adsorption process for carbon adsorbent-CO2 system was found to be reversible with stable adsorption capacity over four consecutive adsorption-desorption cycles. From three isotherm models used to analyze the equilibrium data, Temkin isotherm model presented a nearly perfect fit implying the heterogeneous adsorbent surface. PMID:26040750

Highly ordered mesoporous polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites with interpenetrating networks have been successfully synthesized by the evaporation-induced triconstituent co-assembly method, wherein soluble resol polymer is used as an organic precursor, prehydrolyzed TEOS is used as an inorganic precursor, and triblock copolymer F127 is used as a template. It is proposed for the first time that ordered mesoporous nanocomposites have "reinforced concrete"-structured frameworks. By adjusting the initial mass ratios of TEOS to resol, we determined the obtained nanocomposites possess continuous composition with the ratios ranging from zero to infinity for the two constituents that are "homogeneously" dispersed inside the pore walls. The presence of silicates in nanocomposites dramatically inhibits framework shrinkage during the calcination, resulting in highly ordered large-pore mesoporouscarbon-silica nanocomposites. Combustion in air or etching in HF solution can remove carbon or silica from the carbon-silica nanocomposites and yield ordered mesoporous pure silica or carbon frameworks. The process generates plenty of small pores in carbon or/and silica pore walls. Ordered mesoporouscarbons can then be obtained with large pore sizes of approximately 6.7 nm, pore volumes of approximately 2.0 cm(3)/g, and high surface areas of approximately 2470 m(2)/g. The pore structures and textures can be controlled by varying the sizes and polymerization degrees of two constituent precursors. Accordingly, by simply tuning the aging time of TEOS, ordered mesoporouscarbons with evident bimodal pores at 2.6 and 5.8 nm can be synthesized. PMID:16939291

Nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon hollow spheres (N-MCHSs) were prepared using mesoporous silica hollow spheres as template and dopamine as carbon precursor. The N-MCHSs demonstrate high specific surface area and vegetable sponge-like mesoporous shell with interconnected "carbon bridges", facilitating continuous electron transport and Li ion diffusion, and making the whole structure more stable. The influence of N contents and N-bonding configuration on the Li storage of N-MCHSs is discussed. The N-MCHSs carbonized at 800 °C demonstrate high reversible capacity and excellent rate performance, delivering a capacity of 485 mAh g-1 at a current of 0.5 A g-1 after 1,100 cycles. Even up to 4.0 A g-1, a high capacity of 214 mAh g-1 can be remained. The high electrochemical performance of N-MCHSs can be ascribed to mesoporouscarbon hollow spheres structure and high level pyridinic nitrogen doping.

Bulk graphitic carbon nitride (CN) suffers from small surface area and high recombination of charge carriers, which result in low photocatalytic activity. To enhance the activity of g-C3N4, the surface area should be enlarged and charge carrier separation should be promoted. In this work, a combined strategy was employed to dramatically enhance the activity of bulk g-C3N4 by simultaneously introducing mesoporous structure and hybridizing with graphene/graphene oxide. The mesoporous g-C3N4/graphene (MCN-G) and mesoporous g-C3N4/graphene oxide (MCN-GO) nanocomposites with enhanced photocatalytic activity (NO removal ratio of 64.9% and 60.7%) were fabricated via a facile sonochemical method. The visible light-harvesting ability of MCN-G and MCN-GO hybrids was enhanced and the conduction band was negatively shifted when 1.0 wt% graphene/graphene oxide was incorporated into the matrix of MCN. As electronic conductive channels, the G/GO sheets could efficiently facilitate the separation of chare carriers. MCN-G and MCN-GO exhibited drastically enhanced visible light photocatalytic activity toward NO removal. The NO removal ratio increased from 16.8% for CN to 64.9% for MCN-G and 60.7% for MCN-GO. This enhanced photocatalytic activity could be attributed to the increased surface area and pore volume, improved visible light utilization, enhanced reduction power of electrons, and promoted separation of charge carriers. This work demonstrates that a combined strategy is extremely effective for the development of active photocatalysts in environmental and energetic applications. PMID:25265582

In this work, mesoporouscarbon-coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals further co-modified with graphene and Mg2+ doping (G/LFMP) were synthesized by a modified rheological phase method to improve the speed of lithium storage as well as cycling stability. The mesoporous structure of LiFePO4 nanocrystals was designed and realized by introducing the bead milling technique, which assisted in forming sucrose-pyrolytic carbon nanoparticles as the template for generating mesopores. For comparison purposes, samples modified only with graphene (G/LFP) or Mg2+ doping (LFMP) as well as pure LiFePO4 (LFP) were also prepared and investigated. Microscopic observation and nitrogen sorption analysis have revealed the mesoporous morphologies of the as-prepared composites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement data demonstrated that the Mg-doped LiFePO4 is a single olivine-type phase and well crystallized with shortened Fe-O and P-O bonds and a lengthened Li-O bond, resulting in an enhanced Li+ diffusion velocity. Electrochemical properties have also been investigated after assembling coin cells with the as-prepared composites as the cathode active materials. Remarkably, the G/LFMP composite has exhibited the best electrochemical properties, including fast lithium storage performance and excellent cycle stability. That is because the modification of graphene provided active sites for nuclei, restricted the in situ crystallite growth, increased the electronic conductivity and reduced the interface reaction current density, while, Mg2+ doping improved the intrinsically electronic and ionic transfer properties of LFP crystals. Moreover, in the G/LFMP composite, the graphene component plays the role of ``cushion'' as it could quickly realize capacity response, buffering the impact to LFMP under the conditions of high-rate charging or discharging, which results in a pre-eminent rate capability and cycling stability.In this work, mesoporouscarbon-coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals further co

Lanthanum doped mesoporous titanium dioxide photocatalysts with different La content were synthesized by template method using tetrabutyltitanate (Ti(OC4H9)4) as precursor and Pluronic P123 as template. The catalysts were characterized by thermogravimetric differential thermal analysis, N2 adsorption-desorption measurements, X-ray diffraction, and UV-Vis adsorption spectroscopy. The effect of La3+ doping concentration from 0.1% to 1% on the photocatalytic activity of mesoporous TiO2 was investigated. The characterizations indicated that the photocatalysts possessed a homogeneous pore diameter of about 10 nm with high surface area of 165 m2/g. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements indicated the presence of C in the doped samples in addition to La. Compared with pure mesoporous TiO2, the La-doped samples extended the photoabsorption edge into the visible light region. The results of phenol photodecomposition showed that La-doped mesoporous TiO2 exhibited higher photocatalytic activities than pure mesoporous TiO2 under UV and visible light irradiation.

Desalination of high-salinity solutions has been studied using a novel experimental technique and a theoretical model. Neutron imaging has been employed to visualize lithium ions in mesoporouscarbon materials, which are used as electrodes in capacitive deionization (CDI) for water desalination. Experiments were conducted with a flow-through CDI cell designed for neutron imaging and with lithium-6 chloride ((6)LiCl) as the electrolyte. Sequences of neutron images have been obtained at a relatively high concentration of (6)LiCl solution to provide information on the transport of ions within the electrodes. A new model that computes the individual ionic concentration profiles inside mesoporouscarbon electrodes has been used to simulate the CDI process. Modifications have also been introduced into the simulation model to calculate results at high electrolyte concentrations. Experimental data and simulation results provide insight into why CDI is not effective for desalination of high ionic-strength solutions. The combination of experimental information, obtained through neutron imaging, with the theoretical model will help in the design of CDI devices, which can improve the process for high ionic-strength solutions. PMID:25533167

We demonstrate a novel electrode material-nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon (NMC)-for vanadium redox flow batteries. Mesoporouscarbon (MC) is prepared using a soft-template method and doped with nitrogen by heat-treating MC in NH3. NMC is characterized with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The redox reaction of [VO]2+/[VO2]+ is characterized with cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The electrocatalytic kinetics of the redox couple [VO]2+/[VO2]+ is significantly enhanced on NMC electrode compared with MC and graphite electrodes. The reversibility of the redox couple [VO]2+/[VO2]+ is greatly improved on NMC (0.61 for NMC vs. 0.34 for graphite). Nitrogen doping facilitates the electron transfer on the electrode/electrolyte interface for both oxidation and reduction processes. NMC is a promising electrode material for redox flow batteries.

A series of ordered mesoporous/microporous carbon materials derived from chromium carbide-derived carbons (CDCs) are prepared by nanocasting the chromic acetate and furfuryl alcohol precursor into SBA-15 and subsequent chlorination. The structure and morphology of the CDCs are characterized by N2 adsorption/desorption isotherm, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results show that all of the synthesized CDCs present large specific surface area and pore volume. Especially, the CDCs-2 prepared at the mass ratio of 1/1 (chromic acetate/furfuryl alcohol) exhibits the chain-like morphology with high surface area (1236 m2 g-1), large pore volume (0.76 cm3 g-1), and the good mesopore size centered at 3.43 nm. The electrochemical properties of all the CDCs are studied by cyclic voltammetry, constant current charge/discharge, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy and cycle life measurements in 6 M KOH electrolyte. The results display that the sample CDCs-2 exhibits a high capacitance of 242.7 F g-1 at the current density of 1 A g-1 and good cycling stability with coulombic efficiency of 100% over 10000 cycles.

A novel ordered mesoporouscarbon CMK-3 and synthetic CMK-3 containing nitrogen functional groups by ammonia-treated were applied for acid black 1(AB1) dye adsorption. The ammonia-treated(chemical vapor deposition method) before and after CMK-3 were characterized by using a Micrometitics ASAP 2020 surface area analyzer (ASAP 2020), Fourier transform infrared spectrophotometer (FT-IR), X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and equilibrium studies. This result indicates that the prepared CMK-3 and modified CMK-3 were almost uniform, as rope-like domains and their uniform mesopore with diameter centered at 3.2 nm and 3.7 nm. The FIIR analysis depicted that the presence of a variety of new basic functional groups on the modified CMK-3 surface. Several effect variables of pH, dye concentration and temperature were studied. The pseudo second-order model showed the fitter well to agree with the kinetic data. The experimental data were analyzed by the Langmuir and Freundlich models, with the latter found to closely the isotherm model. The adsorption kinetics was found to follow the pseudo-second-order kinetic model. The results show that CMK-3 using ammonia gas modified by thermal treatment system is an effective method to improvement capacity as it shows the highest adsorption capacity of AB1, as compared to the unmodified CMK-3 and the bamboo-based carbon, respectively.

Preferential removal of pentachlorophenol (PCP) from chlorophenols-containing wastewater has been attracted more attentions in wastewater treatment, since it is one of the most toxic pollutants. The adsorbent of N-doped ordered mesoporouscarbon (M-OMC) with high BET surface area of 1901 m(2)/g, large pore volume of 1.64 cm(3)/g and uniform pore size of 3.45 nm has been successfully synthesized via evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) method. The effects of solution pH, pore structure of adsorbent and their surface chemical properties on PCP adsorption by M-OMC were investigated in comparison with ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC), and much higher PCP adsorption capacities of M-OMC were obtained. The significantly preferential adsorption of PCP was achieved in the treatment of tri-component wastewater including PCP, p-chlorophenol (CP) and 2.4.6-trichlorophenol (TCP), and its adsorption process well fitted the pseudo-second-order kinetics model and the Langmuir isotherm. The initial sorption rate of PCP was 103.5 μmol/(g/min), which was 2.97 times of TCP. It may be attributed to the intensification of π-π interaction between PCP and M-OMC with the nitrogen functional groups. Therefore, M-OMC is promising for removal of PCP in the adsorption pretreatment of chlorophenols-containing wastewater. PMID:26374540

Mesoporouscarbon (m-C) has potential applications as porous electrodes for electrochemical energy storage, but its applications have been severely limited by the inherent fragility and low electrical conductivity. A rational strategy is presented to construct m-C into hierarchical porous structures with high flexibility by using a carbon nanotube (CNT) sponge as a three-dimensional template, and grafting Pt nanoparticles at the m-C surface. This method involves several controllable steps including solution deposition of a mesoporous silica (m-SiO2 ) layer onto CNTs, chemical vapor deposition of acetylene, and etching of m-SiO2 , resulting in a CNT@m-C core-shell or a CNT@m-C@Pt core-shell hybrid structure after Pt adsorption. The underlying CNT network provides a robust yet flexible support and a high electrical conductivity, whereas the m-C provides large surface area, and the Pt nanoparticles improves interfacial electron and ion diffusion. Consequently, specific capacitances of 203 and 311 F g(-1) have been achieved in these CNT@m-C and CNT@m-C@Pt sponges as supercapacitor electrodes, respectively, which can retain 96 % of original capacitance under large degree compression. PMID:25752493

Materials based upon porous carbon have gained considerable attention due to their high surface area, electric conductivity, thermal and chemical stability, low density, and availability. These superior properties make them ideal for diverse applications. Doping these carbon nanostructures holds promise of designing the properties of these structures and opening the door to practical applications. Herein, we report the preparation of hollow N-doped mesoporouscarbon (HMC) spheres fabricated via polymerization and carbonization of dopamine on a sacrificial spherical SiO(2) template that is removed upon hydrofluoric acid etching. The morphology and structural features of these HMCs were evaluated using scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy and the N-doping (7.1 at%) was confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The oxygen reduction/evolution reaction (ORR/OER) performance of N-doped HMC was evaluated using rotating disk electrode (RDE) voltammetry in an alkaline electrolyte. N-doped HMC demonstrated a high ORR onset potential of -0.055 V (vs. Hg/HgO) and excellent stability. The outstanding bifunctional activity was implemented in a practical Zn-air battery (ZAB), which exhibited a small charge-discharge voltage polarization of 0.89 V and high stability over repeated cycling. PMID:26585893

In this work, mesoporouscarbon-coated LiFePO4 nanocrystals further co-modified with graphene and Mg(2+) doping (G/LFMP) were synthesized by a modified rheological phase method to improve the speed of lithium storage as well as cycling stability. The mesoporous structure of LiFePO4 nanocrystals was designed and realized by introducing the bead milling technique, which assisted in forming sucrose-pyrolytic carbon nanoparticles as the template for generating mesopores. For comparison purposes, samples modified only with graphene (G/LFP) or Mg(2+) doping (LFMP) as well as pure LiFePO4 (LFP) were also prepared and investigated. Microscopic observation and nitrogen sorption analysis have revealed the mesoporous morphologies of the as-prepared composites. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rietveld refinement data demonstrated that the Mg-doped LiFePO4 is a single olivine-type phase and well crystallized with shortened Fe-O and P-O bonds and a lengthened Li-O bond, resulting in an enhanced Li(+) diffusion velocity. Electrochemical properties have also been investigated after assembling coin cells with the as-prepared composites as the cathode active materials. Remarkably, the G/LFMP composite has exhibited the best electrochemical properties, including fast lithium storage performance and excellent cycle stability. That is because the modification of graphene provided active sites for nuclei, restricted the in situ crystallite growth, increased the electronic conductivity and reduced the interface reaction current density, while, Mg(2+) doping improved the intrinsically electronic and ionic transfer properties of LFP crystals. Moreover, in the G/LFMP composite, the graphene component plays the role of "cushion" as it could quickly realize capacity response, buffering the impact to LFMP under the conditions of high-rate charging or discharging, which results in a pre-eminent rate capability and cycling stability. PMID:24287590

A composite of TiO2 and MgO-templated disordered mesoporouscarbon was prepared through infiltrating precursor solution (titanium isopropoxide) into the carbon matrix and growing TiO2 nanocrystals in the pore of the carbon. Transmission electron microscope (TEM) and scanning electron microscope (SEM) image showed that TiO2 nanoparticles are embedded homogeneously in the mesoporouscarbon matrix without formation of big particles out of the pores or agglomeration. The electrochemical properties were evaluated by galvanostatic charge/discharge cycling. The composite electrode material showed excellent high-rate characteristics and cycling stability. Uniform dispersion of the TiO2 nanoparticles over the carbon matrix is believed to enhance the electronic conductivity and Li+ ion diffusion of the composite electrode material and thus result in good rate capability. PMID:26726659

The transport of fluids through nanometer scale channels typically on the order of 1 -100 nm often exhibit unique properties compared to the bulk fluid. These phenomena occur because the channel dimensions and molecular size become comparable to the range of several important forces including electrostatic and van der Waals forces. Small changes in properties such as the electric double layer or surface charge can significantly affect molecular transport through the channels. Based on these emerging properties, a variety of nanofluidic devices such as nanofluidic transistors, nanofluidic diodes or lab-on-a-chip devices have been developed3-7 with a diverse range of applications including water purification, biomolecular sensing, DNA separation, and rectified ion transport. Nanofluidic devices are typically fabricated using expensive lithography techniques or sacrificial templates. Here we report a carbon-based, three-dimensional nanofluidic transport membrane that enables gated, or on/off, control of the transport of organic molecular species and metal ions using an applied electrical potential. In the absence of an applied potential, both cationic and anionic molecules freely diffuse across the membrane via a concentration gradient. However, when an electrochemical potential is applied, the transport of ions through the membrane is inhibited.

Hierarchical mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanoneedle arrays on carbon cloth have been fabricated by a simple hydrothermal approach combined with a post-annealing treatment. Such unique array nanoarchitectures exhibit remarkable electrochemical performance with high capacitance and desirable cycle life at high rates. When evaluated as an electrode material for supercapacitors, the NiCo2O4 nanoneedle arrays supported on carbon cloth was able to deliver high specific capacitance of 660 F g-1 at current densities of 2 A g-1 in 2 M KOH aqueous solution. In addition, the composite electrode shows excellent mechanical behavior and long-term cyclic stability (91.8% capacitance retention after 3,000 cycles). The fabrication method presented here is facile, cost-effective, and scalable, which may open a new pathway for real device applications. PMID:24661431

Novel mesoporouscarbon materials (MCMs) with excellent electron conductivity and high surface area are successfully synthesized from waste litchi shells. The as-prepared MCMs possess a narrow pore size distribution (0.5-2.0 nm) and exhibit similar electron conductivities to conductive carbon black (Super P, Timcal). Because of the unique properties of MCMs, they are used as host matrixes to encapsulate sulfur for lithium-sulfur cathodes. The obtained MCMs-sulfur (MCMs-S) composite cathodes deliver a high initial specific capacity of 1667 mAh g-1. Moreover, 300 °C treated MCMs-S composite cathode shows a more stable discharge capacity than the untreated MCMs-S composite cathode, it remains 612 mAh g-1 after 200 cycles at a high current density of 0.5 C.

Mesoporous TiO2 and carbon-TiO2 beads with highly roughened surfaces at the nanoscale were prepared by using triblock copolymer P123 simultaneously as template and carbon source in combination with colloid self-assembly. In addition, their role as modifier of the photoanode in the efficiency enhancement of dye-sensitized solar cells is discussed. Hierarchically organized TiO2 networks can provide fast electron transport paths, and ordered mesopores can enhance light scattering as well as facilitate infiltration of the electrolyte. It was found that there is an optimum loading level of mesoporous TiO2 and carbon-TiO2 beads, that is, 1.0 and 0.5 wt%, with respect to the control P25 TiO2 nanoparticles, respectively, for maximizing the photovoltaic performance. An increase in the photovoltaic performance by up to 21.45% was achieved by incorporation of mesoporouscarbon-TiO2 beads into the conventional photoanode of DSSCs owing to enhanced charge transport and collection effects. PMID:25098396

A novel enzyme immobilization approach was used to generate mesoporous enzymes-silica composite microparticles by co-entrapping gelatinized starch and cross-linked phenylalanine ammonia lyase (PAL) aggregates (CLEAs) containing gelatinized starch into biomemitic silica and subsequently removing the starch by α-amylase treatment. During the preparation process, the gelatinzed starch served as a pore-forming agent to create pores in CLEAs and biomimetic silica. The resulting mesoporous CLEAs-silica composite microparticles exhibited higher activity and stability than native PAL, conventional CLEAs, and PAL encapsulated in biomimetic silica. Furthermore, the mesoporous CLEAs-silica composite microparticles displayed good reusability due to its suitable size and mechanical properties, and had excellent stability for storage. The superior catalytic performances were attributed to the combinational unique structure from the intra-cross-linking among enzyme aggregates and hard mesoporous silica shell, which not only decreased the enzyme-support negative interaction and mass-transfer limitations, but also improved the mechanical properties and monodispersity. This approach will be highly beneficial for preparing various bioactive mesoporous composites with excellent catalytic performance. PMID:26374188

A Prussian blue (PB) functionalized mesoporouscarbon nanosphere (MCN) composite was prepared for loading signal antibody and high-content glucose oxidase (GOD) to obtain a new nanoprobe for sensitive electrochemical immunoassay. The MCN nanocarrier with an average diameter of 180 nm was synthesized by using mesoporous silica nanosphere as a hard template in combination with a hydrothermal carbonization method. This hydrophilic carbon nanomaterial provided an ideal platform for in situ deposition of high-content PB to form the MCN-PB nanocomposite. Based on the step-wise assembly of polyelectrolyte and gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on the negative-charged nanocomposite, signal antibody and high-content GOD were loaded on this nanocarrier to obtain the nanoprobe. After a sandwich immunoreaction at an Au NPs-modified screen-printed carbon electrode based immunosensor, the nanoprobes were quantitatively captured on the electrode surface to produce sensitive electrochemical response with a PB-mediated GOD catalytic reaction for immunoassay. The high loading of PB and GOD on the nanoprobe greatly amplified the electrochemical signal, leading to the development of a new immunoassay method with high sensitivity. Using human immunoglobulin G as a model analyte, excellent analytical performance including a wide linear range from 0.01 to 100 ng/mL and a low detection limit down to 7.8 pg/mL was obtained. Additionally, the immunosensor showed high specificity, satisfactory stability and repeatability as well as acceptable reliability. The PB-mediated GOD electrochemical system well excluded the conventional interference from the dissolved oxygen. Thus this immunoassay method provides great potentials for practical applications. PMID:26201983

Ordered mesoporouscarbons with tunable pore size and surface chemical properties are prepared by doping boric acid using a hard-templating method. The capacitive performance of these carbons is investigated in two common ionic liquids of EMImBF 4 and EMImTSFI. As demonstrated by the structure analysis, the pore size increases from 3.3 to 5.7 nm and the content of oxygenated groups on the carbon surface increases from 2.0 to 5.2 mol% with the increase of the boron doping from 0 to 50 mol%. In ionic liquid electrolyte, the carbons mainly show typical electric double layer capacitance, and the capacitance retention ratio and ion diffusion in the carbon channels is determined to the surface chemical property. The prepared carbons present visible pseudo-capacitance due to the rapid redox reactions of the oxygenated groups in hydrophilic EMImBF 4, reflecting by the increasing of the specific surface capacitance, while no visible pseudo-capacitive behavior was observed in hydrophobic EMImTSFI.

Activatedcarbons remove waterborne bacteria from potable water systems through attractive Lifshitz-van der Waals forces despite electrostatic repulsion between negatively charged cells and carbon surfaces. In this paper we quantify the interaction forces between bacteria with negatively and positively charged, mesoporous wood-based carbons, as well as with a microporous coconut carbon. To this end, we glued carbon particles to the cantilever of an atomic force microscope and measured the interaction forces upon approach and retraction of thus made tips. Waterborne Raoultella terrigena and Escherichia coli adhered weakly (1-2 nN) to different activatedcarbon particles, and the main difference between the activatedcarbons was the percentage of curves with attractive sites revealed upon traversing of a carbon particle through the bacterial EPS layer. The percentage of curves showing adhesion forces upon retraction varied between 21% and 69%, and was highest for R. terrigena with positively charged carbon (66%) and a coconut carbon (69%). Macroscopic bacterial removal by the mesoporouscarbon particles increased with increasing percentages of attractive sites revealed upon traversing a carbon particle through the outer bacterial surface layer. PMID:18405910

Monodispersed mesoporous hollow spheres of polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites with an ``interpenetration twin'' nanostructure have been successfully synthesized by a co-sol-emulsion-gel method. The obtained mesoporous hollow carbon spheres (MHCSs) exhibited an open interconnected mesoporous shell that is endowed with high specific surface area (SBET, 2106-2225 m2 g-1) and large pore volume (1.95-2.53 cm3 g-1). Interestingly, the diameter of the uniform MHCSs could be precisely tuned on demand, as an effective electrode material in supercapacitors, MHCSs with a diameter of 90 nm deliver the shortest time constant (τ0 = 0.75 s), which is highly beneficial for rate capacitance (180 F g-1 at 100 A g-1, a full charge-discharge within 0.9 s) and cyclic retainability (3% loss after 20 000 cycles). The newly developed synthesis route leads to unique interconnected mesoporous hollow carbonaceous spheres with open-framework structures, providing a new material platform in energy storage.Monodispersed mesoporous hollow spheres of polymer-silica and carbon-silica nanocomposites with an ``interpenetration twin'' nanostructure have been successfully synthesized by a co-sol-emulsion-gel method. The obtained mesoporous hollow carbon spheres (MHCSs) exhibited an open interconnected mesoporous shell that is endowed with high specific surface area (SBET, 2106-2225 m2 g-1) and large pore volume (1.95-2.53 cm3 g-1). Interestingly, the diameter of the uniform MHCSs could be precisely tuned on demand, as an effective electrode material in supercapacitors, MHCSs with a diameter of 90 nm deliver the shortest time constant (τ0 = 0.75 s), which is highly beneficial for rate capacitance (180 F g-1 at 100 A g-1, a full charge-discharge within 0.9 s) and cyclic retainability (3% loss after 20 000 cycles). The newly developed synthesis route leads to unique interconnected mesoporous hollow carbonaceous spheres with open-framework structures, providing a new material platform in

This work describes a novel and general redox-responsive controlled drug delivery-release nanocarrier with mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles (MCNs) gated by customized fluorescent carbon dots (CDs). The modification of MCNs with a disulfide unit enables the system to be sensitive to intracellular glutathione (GSH). The CDs anchoring onto the surface of the MCNs via an electrostatic interaction block the mesopores and thus prevent the leakage of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded inside the channel of the MCNs. Upon the addition of GSH at the physiological environment, the integrity of the system is disrupted due to the dissociation of the disulfide bond; meanwhile stripping the CDs opens the gate and thus triggers the rapid release of the encapsulated DOX. The fluorescence of the CDs is quenched/'turned off' when linking to the MCNs, while it is restored/'turned on' when detaching the CDs from the surface of the MCNs. Thus the fluorescent CDs serve as both a controllable drug release gatekeeper and a fluorescent probe for the visualization of the drug delivery process. By combining these inherent capabilities, the present drug delivery system may be a promising route for designing custom-made visual controlled-release nanodevices specifically governed by in situ stimulus in the cells. PMID:27458235

This work describes a novel and general redox-responsive controlled drug delivery-release nanocarrier with mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles (MCNs) gated by customized fluorescent carbon dots (CDs). The modification of MCNs with a disulfide unit enables the system to be sensitive to intracellular glutathione (GSH). The CDs anchoring onto the surface of the MCNs via an electrostatic interaction block the mesopores and thus prevent the leakage of doxorubicin (DOX) loaded inside the channel of the MCNs. Upon the addition of GSH at the physiological environment, the integrity of the system is disrupted due to the dissociation of the disulfide bond; meanwhile stripping the CDs opens the gate and thus triggers the rapid release of the encapsulated DOX. The fluorescence of the CDs is quenched/‘turned off’ when linking to the MCNs, while it is restored/‘turned on’ when detaching the CDs from the surface of the MCNs. Thus the fluorescent CDs serve as both a controllable drug release gatekeeper and a fluorescent probe for the visualization of the drug delivery process. By combining these inherent capabilities, the present drug delivery system may be a promising route for designing custom-made visual controlled-release nanodevices specifically governed by in situ stimulus in the cells.

Ordered mesoporouscarbons exhibit appealing properties for many applications, but their function and performance can depend critically on their structure. The in-plane orientation of 2D cylinders from the cooperative assembly of Pluronic P123 and resol has been controlled by application of cold zone annealing (CZA). By varying the moving rate, the preferential in-plane orientation of the self-assembled cylinders can be tuned through the entire 180° range possible from φ = 50° to φ = -130° (relative to the moving direction). At a moving rate of 2 μm s-1, this simple and easy CZA process leads to cylinders that are well aligned parallel to the moving direction with a high orientational factor of S = 0.98. Moreover, the in-plane oriented cylinders can be nearly perfectly aligned transverse to the moving direction (S = 0.95) by simply decreasing the moving velocity to 0.5 μm s-1. We attribute the parallel alignment to the flow that develops from the motion of the thermal gradients, while the transverse alignment is related to flow cessation (inertial effect). The preferential orientation is retained through the carbonization process, but there is some degradation in orientation due to insufficient crosslinking of the resol during CZA; this effect is most prominent for the higher moving rates (less time for crosslinking), but can be overcome by post-CZA annealing at uniform elevated temperatures to further crosslink the resol. CZA is a simple and powerful method for fabricating well-aligned and self-assembled mesoporouscarbon films over large areas.Ordered mesoporouscarbons exhibit appealing properties for many applications, but their function and performance can depend critically on their structure. The in-plane orientation of 2D cylinders from the cooperative assembly of Pluronic P123 and resol has been controlled by application of cold zone annealing (CZA). By varying the moving rate, the preferential in-plane orientation of the self-assembled cylinders can

The lithium/sulfur couple is garnering tremendous interest as the next-generation of cost-efficient rechargeable battery systems capable to fulfill emerging energy storage demands. However, the viable commercialization of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries is still an obstacle by fast capacity fading and poor cycling stability mostly caused by the polysulfide shuttle and active sulfur material loss. In this contribution, we show that the surface modification of the commercial polypropylene separator with a nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon enhances the interfacial interaction between the N-dopants on carbon-coating and the sulfur-related species by coupling interactions. These unique physical and interfacial chemical properties of the N-doped mesoporouscarbon-coating promote the chemical adsorption and confinement of lithium (poly)sulfide intermediates in the cathode side, improving the active material utilization and hence the overall electrochemical performance of Li-S batteries: high initial discharge capacity of 1364 mAh g-1 at 0.2C and notable cycling stability with high reversible capacity of 566 mAh g-1 and negligible degradation rate of 0.037% after 1200 cycles at 0.5C. Furthermore, despite the use of a simple-mixed sulfur-carbon black cathode with high-sulfur loading of 3.95 mg cm-2, the cell with a hybrid separator delivers a high areal capacity of ˜3 mAh cm-2.

Applications of mesoporous silica (m-SiO2) have suffered from its fragility (monolithic m-SiO2 easily collapses under compression) and limited internal molecular exchange through small channels. Previously reported hierarchical porous m-SiO2 structures containing interconnected macropores could improve adsorption properties, but they were still intrinsically fragile without sufficient mechanical strength to sustain deformation. Here, we embed a three-dimensional carbon nanotube (CNT) skeleton into m-SiO2 to fabricate bulk, robust sponges that can be compressed to large strains (60% volume reduction) repeatedly in both air and water. This is done by directly casting a uniform m-SiO2 layer with tunable thickness onto the surface of CNTs while maintaining the original network and open porous structure, resulting in a core-shell CNT@m-SiO2 hybrid sponge. By pumping fluid through the CNT@m-SiO2 sponges under cyclic compression, the adsorption rate and efficiency of dye molecules can be significantly enhanced due to the mesoporous coating on CNTs and enhanced fluid exchange throughout internal pores. The CNT@m-SiO2 sponges may be used as robust and flexible adsorption media, and chemical and biological sensors with high performance. PMID:24535234

A study on the development of high-power supercapacitor materials based on formation of thick mesoporous MnO2 shells on a highly conductive 3D template using vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs). Coaxial manganese shells of 100 to 600 nm nominal thicknesses are sputter-coated on VACNFs and then electrochemically oxidized into rose-petal-like mesoporous MnO2 structure. Such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid architecture provides enhanced ion diffusion throughout the whole MnO2 shell and yields excellent current collection capability through the VACNF electrode. These two effects collectively enable faster electrochemical reactions during charge-discharge of MnO2 in 1 M Na2SO4. Thick MnO2 shells (up to 200 nm in radial thickness) can be employed, giving a specific capacitance up to 437 F g(-1). More importantly, supercapacitors employing such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid electrode illustrate more than one order of magnitude higher specific power than the state-of-the-art ones based on other MnO2 structures, reaching ∼240 kW kg(-1), while maintaining a comparable specific energy in the range of 1 to 10 Wh kg(-1). This hybrid approach demonstrates the potential of 3D core-shell architectures for high-power energy storage devices. PMID:25894255

Combining controllable photothermal therapy and efficacious gene therapy in a single platform holds great promise in cancer therapy due to the enhanced combined therapeutic effects. Herein, polyethyleneimine-grafted oxidized mesoporouscarbon nanospheres (OP) were developed for combined photothermal combined gene therapy in vitro and in vivo. The synthesized OP was characterized to have three dimensional spherical structure with uniformed diameter, ordered mesopores with graphitic domains, high water dispersion with zeta potential of +22 mV, and good biocompatibility. Consequently, OP was exploited as the photothermal convertor with strong NIR absorption and the gene vector via electrostatic interaction, which therefore cannot only deliver the therapeutic gene (pING4) to tumors for gene therapy, but also can eliminate the tumors by photothermal ablation. Moreover, the improved gene therapy accompanied by the NIR photothermally enhanced gene release was also well achieved based on OP. The excellent combined therapeutic effects demonstrated in vitro and in vivo suggested the OP's potential for cancer therapy. PMID:27258483

Although various kinds of catalysts have been developed for aprotic Li-O2 battery application, the carbon-based cathodes are still vulnerable to attacks from the discharge intermediates or products, as well as the accompanying electrolyte decomposition. To ameliorate this problem, the free-standing and carbon-free CoO nanowire array cathode was purposely designed for Li-O2 batteries. The single CoO nanowire formed as a special mesoporous structure, owing even comparable specific surface area and pore volume to the typical Super-P carbon particles. In addition to the highly selective oxygen reduction/evolution reactions catalytic activity of CoO cathodes, both excellent discharge specific capacity and cycling efficiency of Li-O2 batteries were obtained, with 4888 mAh gCoO(-1) and 50 cycles during 500 h period. Owing to the synergistic effect between elaborate porous structure and selective intermediate absorption on CoO crystal, a unique bimodal growth phenomenon of discharge products was occasionally observed, which further offers a novel mechanism to control the formation/decomposition morphology of discharge products in nanoscale. This research work is believed to shed light on the future development of high-performance aprotic Li-O2 batteries. PMID:26400109

A series of magnetic γ-Fe2O3, Fe3O4, and Fe nanoparticles have been successfully introduced into the mesochannels of ordered mesoporouscarbons by the combination of the impregnation of iron salt precursors and then in situ hydrolysis, pyrolysis and reduction processes. The magnetic nanoparticles are uniformly dispersed and confined within the mesopores of mesoporouscarbons. Although the as-prepared magnetic mesoporouscarbon composites have high contents of magnetic components, they still possess very high specific surface areas and pore volumes. The magnetic hysteresis loops measurements indicate that the magnetic constituents are poorly-crystalline nanoparticles and their saturation magnetization is evidently smaller than bulky magnetic materials. The confinement of magnetic nanoparticles within the mesopores of mesoporouscarbons results in the decrease of the complex permittivity and the increase of the complex permeability of the magnetic nanocomposites. The maximum reflection loss (RL) values of -32 dB at 11.3 GHz and a broad absorption band (over 2 GHz) with RL values mesoporous carbon composites as high-performance microwave absorbing materials. PMID:25562071

Less biodegradable dissolved organic matters in water as typified by humic substances are known as precursors of carcinogenic trihalomethanes, and are removed about 60% by current advanced water treatments. However, further increase of the removal ratio is demand. In this study, magnetic mesoporouscarbon (MMPC), which can adsorb the substances physically and be efficiently collected by using superconducting high gradient magnetic separation (HGMS), has been synthesized with coconut-shell-based activatedcarbon and ferric nitrate solution by the gas activation method. The MMPC has the maximum magnetization value of 30.7 emu/g and an adsorption ability of 87% to 10 mg/L humic acid in a short time. The standard MMPC having a magnetization of 6.43 emu/g was able to be separated at magnetic field of 2 T. Used MMPC regained the adsorption ability to 93.1% by N 2 reactivation heat treatment. These results show promise for application of current water treatments by superconducting HGMS, which is suitable for high-speed water treatment without secondary wastes.

This paper reports a novel method for producing glucose oxidase-nanocomposites by entrapping cross-linked glucose oxidase (GOx) aggregates within a graphitized mesoporouscarbon (GMC) network. Entrapment was achieved by utilizing the strong self-aggregation tendency of GMC in aqueous buffer solution to form carbon networks. Using confocal microscopy and TEM, GOx-GMC nanocomposites were visualized. The electrochemical properties of GOx-GMC nanocomposites were studied by means of cyclic voltammograms, chronoamperometric and potentiostatic tests. Results therefrom suggested that the GOx-GMC nanocomposites offer a high electrical conductivity with the maximum electron transfer rate constant estimated at 5.16±0.61s(-1). Furthermore, thermally treating the GOx-GMC nanocomposite and GOx aggregates at 60°C for four hours, both samples maintained 99% of their initial activity, while the free GOx were completely deactivated. These performances suggested that our nanocomposite structure offered both improved electrochemical performance and stability by combining the high electrical conductivity offered by the GMC network with the high enzyme loading and stability offered by the cross-linked GOx aggregates. The GOx-GMC nanocomposite's electrochemical activity towards glucose oxidation was also investigated by using an enzymatic biofuel cell without artificial mediators, producing a power density of up to 22.4μWcm(-2) at 0.24V. PMID:27241289

The loss of active sulfur material is a challenge in the application of lithium-sulfur (Li-S) batteries. To immobilize sulfur, a nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon (PMC) was synthesized with polyaniline (PANi) as the carbon source, which was used for development of Li-S batteries. The nitrogen content and pore system of the PMCs were modulated by varying the pyrolysis temperature to impart good electrochemical properties to the Li-S cells. As a result, the optimal capacity reversibility was obtained with the PMC synthesized at 700 °C that consisted of 12.8 % nitrogen. The enhanced cycle performance of Li-S cells was also validated at high sulfur contents up to 70 % and high C-rates up to 2 C. Furthermore, such sulfur/PMC cathodes could alleviate volume expansion during the discharge process. The results suggest that our synthesized nitrogen-doped PMCs prepared by this top-down strategy are promising materials to immobilize active sulfur in Li-S batteries. PMID:26336933

In this study, polyaniline is deposited onto mesoporouscarbon-silica-coated 304 stainless steel using electropolymerization method. Variation of the electropolymerization time and applied potential can affect the growth of polyaniline, and lead to different structural and electrochemical properties of the films. Nitrogen-containing groups are successfully introduced onto the mesoporouscarbon-silica film by pyrolyzing treatment under N 2 atmosphere and the electrical conductivity is improved observably compared with the carbon-silica film. The electrochemical properties of the mesoporouscarbon-silica-polyaniline films and nitrogen-containing carbon-silica composite films are examined by using potentiodynamic polarization, potentiostatic polarization and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy. The corrosion tests in 0.5 M H 2SO 4 system display that the carbon-silica-polyaniline films show the optimal protective performance. However, according to potentiostatic polarization process, nitrogen-containing carbon-silica film with a water contact angle 95° is extremely stable and better for the protection of stainless steel in simulated fuel cell environment compared to carbon-silica-polyaniline film. Therefore, the nitrogen-containing carbon-silica-coated 304 stainless steel is a promising candidate for bipolar plate materials in PEMFCs.

The conventional TiO{sub 2} photoelectrode for water splitting was integrated with ordered mesoporouscarbon material (CMK-3) and Au metal nanoparticles (NPs) to improve the photocatalytic efficiency under visible light irradiation. Compared to TiO{sub 2}, Au/TiO{sub 2}-CMK-3 photoelectrode demonstrated over two orders of magnitude enhancement of photocurrent under 532 nm laser irradiation due to the generation of hot electron and near field from Au NPs. Furthermore, the improvement of free carrier transport and additional long-wavelength absorption can be achieved by exploiting the superior conductivity and blackbody-like property of CMK-3. This proposed enhancement mechanism was proved by the measurements of photoluminescence emission spectrum and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy.

In this work, mesostructure evolution of ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) from the 2-D hexagonal (space group p6mm) to the discontinuous cubic [Formula: see text], then towards the face-centered cubic lattice [Formula: see text], and finally, to the simple cubic Pm3n is achieved by simply adjusting the cosolvent water content of the mixed solvents water/ethanol in the presence of a reverse nonionic triblock copolymer and low molecular resin by evaporation-induced self-assembly method. Experimental results demonstrate that both the cosolvent and the reverse triblock copolymer play a key role in the mesophase transitions of OMCs. Furthermore, the OMCs with Pm3n symmetry are reported for the first time. Finally, the mechanism of mesostructure transition was discussed and proposed. PMID:27518232

Sandwich-like mesoporous GS@Fe3O4@C nanosheets with a 2D nanoarchitecture have been successfully synthesized by one-step solvothermal treatment. Such type of 2D nanoarchitecture is made up of a number of Fe3O4 nanoparticles uniformly grown on a graphene sheet and an even amorphous carbon layer covering on their surface. The Li-cycling properties of GS@Fe3O4@C nanosheets have been evaluated by galvanostatic discharge-charge cycling and impedance spectroscopy. Results indicate that the GS@Fe3O4@C nanosheets with about 5 wt % of graphene content provides a very high discharge capacity of 913.2 mAh g-1 at a current densities of 200 mA g-1 after 100 cycles and reveals a stable discharge capacity of 483.2 mAh g-1 at a rate of 1600 mA g-1.

A composite of polyaniline nanofiber/large mesoporouscarbon (PANI-F/LMC) hybrid was prepared by an in situ chemical oxidative polymerization of aniline monomer with nano-CaCO3 templated LMC as host matrix for supercapacitors. The morphology, composition and electronic structure of the composites (PANI-F/LMC) together with pure PANI nanofibers and the LMC were characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), FT-IR, X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). It is found that the PANI nanofibers were incorporated into the large mesochannels of LMC with interpenetrating framework formed. Such unique structure endows the PANI-F/LMC composite with a high capacitance of 473 F g-1 at a current load of 0.1 A g-1 with good rate performance and cycling stability, suggesting its potential application in the electrode material for supercapacitors.

The ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC)/paraffin composites were successfully prepared by a facile physical mixing method and an EMI SE of 21-23 dB was achieved at the OMC loading of 5.69 wt.% in the X band. This indicates that the composites are very suitable for an application as effective and lightweight EMI shielding materials. The EMI shielding of the composite shows an absorption-dominant mechanism, i.e., a contribution shift from reflection to absorption is observed with the increase in OMC loading and frequency. This could be explained by the intrinsic properties (electrical conductivity, complex permittivity and potential large defects) and novel structure of the composites. PMID:25936048

A sulfur cathode is designed with three-dimensional (3D) cubic mesoporouscarbon CMK-8 as the matrix of sulfur, and polypyrrole (PPY) as the wrapping layer. CMK-8 provides perfect 3D conductive network. Furthermore, PPY is coated onto the surface of CMK-8/sulfur (CMK-8/S) composite to inhibit the migration of lithium polysulfide and offer better lithium ion conductive channels. The microstructure and electrochemical performance of the PPY@CMK-8/sulfur (PPY@CMK-8/S) cathode are investigated systematically. The results show that PPY layer with about 50 nm thickness is coated uniformly on the surface of CMK-8/S. The Li-S battery with PPY@CMK-8/S as cathode material presents a discharge capacity of 937.8 mAh g-1 at 20 cycles and is stabilized at about 860 mAh g-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C.

The effects of hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions for synthesizing light-emitting mesoporouscarbon-silica (MPCS) nanocomposite on the structure, chemical bonding state, and luminescence properties of MPCS were investigated by controlling the concentration (0.02 to 5 M) of HCl, which was used as a catalyst for hydrolysis and polycondensation. The progress of hydrolysis and polycondensation reactions provides a nanometer-order pore/wall structure and results in a strong light-emitting property. The pore/wall structure was obtained using HCl at concentrations of 0.2 M and higher, but it became disordered with increasing HCl concentration (2 and 5 M). The luminescence color of the MPCS nanocomposite can be changed from yellowish-white to bluish-white by changing the concentration of HCl.

Mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles (MCNs) with large and adjustable pores have been synthesized by using poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene (PEO-b-PS) as a template and resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) as a carbon precursor. The resulting MCNs possess small diameters (100-126 nm) and high BET surface areas (up to 646 m2 g-1). By using home-designed block copolymers, the pore size of MCNs can be tuned in the range of 13-32 nm. Importantly, the pore size of 32 nm is the largest among the MCNs prepared by the soft-templating route. The formation mechanism and structure evolution of MCNs were studied by TEM and DLS measurements, based on which a soft-templating/sphere packing mechanism was proposed. Because of the large pores and small particle sizes, the resulting MCNs were excellent nano-carriers to deliver biomolecules into cancer cells. MCNs were further demonstrated with negligible toxicity. It is anticipated that this carbon material with large pores and small particle sizes may have excellent potential in drug/gene delivery.Mesoporouscarbon nanoparticles (MCNs) with large and adjustable pores have been synthesized by using poly(ethylene oxide)-b-polystyrene (PEO-b-PS) as a template and resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) as a carbon precursor. The resulting MCNs possess small diameters (100-126 nm) and high BET surface areas (up to 646 m2 g-1). By using home-designed block copolymers, the pore size of MCNs can be tuned in the range of 13-32 nm. Importantly, the pore size of 32 nm is the largest among the MCNs prepared by the soft-templating route. The formation mechanism and structure evolution of MCNs were studied by TEM and DLS measurements, based on which a soft-templating/sphere packing mechanism was proposed. Because of the large pores and small particle sizes, the resulting MCNs were excellent nano-carriers to deliver biomolecules into cancer cells. MCNs were further demonstrated with negligible toxicity. It is anticipated that this carbon material with large pores and

Carbon, nitrogen and sulfur (C, N and S) doped mesoporous anatase-brookite nano-heterojunction titania photocatalysts have been synthesized through a simple sol-gel method in the presence of triblock copolymer Pluronic P123. XRD and Raman spectra revealed the formation of anatase and brookite mixed phases. XPS spectra indicated the presence of C, N and S dopants. The TEM images demonstrated the formation of almost monodisperse titania nanoparticles with particle sizes of approximately 10nm. N2 isotherm measurements confirmed that both doped and undoped titania anatase-brookite materials have mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic degradation of the cyanotoxin microcystin-LR (MC-LR) has been investigated using these novel nanomaterials under visible light illumination. The photocatalytic efficiency of the mesoporous titania anatase-brookite photocatalyst dramatically increased with the addition of the C, N and S non-metal, achieving complete degradation (∼ 100 %) of MC-LR. The results demonstrate the advantages of the synthetic approach and the great potential of the visible light activated C, N, and S doped titania photocatalysts for the treatment of organic micropollutants in contaminated waters under visible light. PMID:25238189

A biocatalyst was synthesized by immobilizing human carbonic anhydrase onto gold nanoparticles assembled over amine/thiol-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15. The physicochemical properties of the functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 were obtained by XRD, BET, FE SEM, HR TEM, EDS, and zeta potential analysis. The biocatalytic performance was studied for para-nitrophenyl acetate (p-NPA) hydrolysis. The kinetic parameters K(m) were found to be 22.35 and 27.75 mM, and K(cat)/K(m) values were 1514.09 and 1612.25 M(-1) s(-1) for HCA immobilized on gold nanoparticles assembled on amine/thiol-functionalized mesoporous SBA-15 (HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15), respectively. These HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 were investigated for biocatalytic hydration of CO(2) and its precipitation as CaCO(3). The amount of CaCO(3) precipitated over HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 was nearly the same as that precipitated over free HCA. Storage stability and reusability studies suggested that HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 retained its activity even after 20 days storage at 25 °C and 20 recycling runs. The present results demonstrate that HCA/Au/MPTES/SBA-15 and HCA/Au/APTES/SBA-15 are highly efficient potential nanobiocatalysts for industrial-scale CO(2) sequestration. PMID:21488617

Highlights: ► Network carbon foam containing a bimodal pore distribution was prepared from Larch. ► Liquefaction route was used for the preparation of morphology controllable carbon. ► Pore structure of carbon foam was controlled through KOH activation. - Abstract: A carbon foam with a bimodal micro–mesopore distribution, was prepared by submitting larch sawdust to liquefaction, resinification, foaming, carbonization and KOH activation. The morphology, pore texture and crystal microstructure was characterized by scanning and transmission electron microscopy, nitrogen adsorption analysis and X-ray powder diffraction. A honeycomb structure with adjacent cells was observed for the precursor of carbon foam. After KOH activation, the cell wall of precursor shrunk and broke. This lead to the formation of a well-connected 3D network and developed ligament pore structure (surface area of 554–1918 m{sup 2}/g) containing bimodal pores, 2.1 and 3.9 nm in diameter. The porous carbon foam prepared at 700 °C exhibited a much higher gas-phase toluene removal than commercial activatedcarbon fiber owing to the 3D network and bimodal pore structure.

Silicon nanoparticles trapped in an ordered mesoporouscarbon composite were prepared by a one-step self-assembly with solvent evaporation using the triblock copolymer Pluronic F127 and a resorcinol-formaldehyde polymer as the templating agent and carbon precursor respectively. Such a one-pot synthesis of Si/ordered mesoporouscarbon nanocomposite is suitable for large-scale synthesis. Characterization confirmed that the Si nanoparticles were trapped in the ordered mesoporouscarbon, as evidenced by transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction analysis and nitrogen sorption isotherms. The composite showed a high reversible capacity above 700 mA h g-1 during 50 cycles at 2 A g-1. The improved electrochemical performance of the composite can be ascribed to the buffering effect of spaces formed in the ordered pore channels during the volume expansion of silicon and the rapid movement of lithium ions through the uniform cylindrical pore structure of the mesopores.

Composites of mesoporous synthetic carbon and the graphene phase were synthesized in aqueous suspension by employing dispersive interactions of both phases. The resulting carbon-based materials were further heat treated in air at 350 °C. The composites and their components were characterized by using adsorption of nitrogen, potentiometric titration, thermal analysis-mass spectrometry, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, SEM, high-resolution TEM, and XRD. Then, they were tested as supercapacitors in three-electrode cells and under visible-light irradiation. The composites and the initial carbon share exactly the same pore-size distributions, but they exhibit significant differences in their surface chemistry, wettability, and conductivity. This allowed us to determine the extent of their effects on their capacitive/pseudocapacitive performance. The results showed that features other than the textural properties can increase the capacitive performance by more than 100 %. The synergistic properties of the composites and their sulfur functional group related photoactivity were linked to chemical interactions between the nanoporous carbon phase and graphite oxide during the formation of the composite. PMID:25916763

Phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) dual heteroatom doped mesoporouscarbon (PNDC) synthesized by microwave assisted carbonization of tannin cross-linked to melamine in the presence of polyphosphoric acid was evaluated electrochemically for supercapacitor application. Controlling the N content by varying the amount of tannin to melamine in the carbonization process produced varying nitrogen, phosphorus and oxygen functionalities along with different physical properties. Electrochemical characterization studies revealed that N content is responsible for pseudocapacitance and high surface area plays a vital role in improving the capacitative behavior by enhanced electric double layer formation. In 1.0 M H2SO4 and 6.0 M KOH, PNDC-2 showed a high specific capacitance of 271 F g-1 and 236 F g-1, respectively. XPS results demonstrate the presence of pyridinic-N, quaternary-N as well as quinone type oxygen functionalities, which accounts for redox reactions and likely play an important role in the transportation of electrons during the charge/discharge process. Thus, the microwave assisted synthesis of doped carbon can provide a novel method of synthesizing materials useful for the fabrication of cheap and high performance supercapacitors.

Activatedcarbon are unique and versatile adsorbents having extended surface area, micro porous structure, universal adsorption effect, high adsorption capacity and high degree of surface reactivity. Activatedcarbons are synthesized from variety of materials. Most commonly used on a commercial scale are cellulosic based precursors such as peat, coal, lignite wood and coconut shell. Variation occurs in precursors in terms of structure and carbon content. Coir having very low bulk density and porous structure is found to be one of the valuable raw materials for the production of highly porous activatedcarbon and other important factor is its high carbon content. Exploration of good low cost and non conventional adsorbent may contribute to the sustainability of the environment and offer promising benefits for the commercial purpose in future. Carbonization of biomass was carried out in a horizontal muffle furnace. Both carbonization and activation were performed in inert nitrogen atmosphere in one step to enhance the surface area and to develop interconnecting porosity. The types of biomass as well as the activation conditions determine the properties and the yield of activatedcarbon. Activatedcarbon produced from biomass is cost effective as it is easily available as a waste biomass. Activatedcarbon produced by combination of chemical and physical activation has higher surface area of 2442 m2/gm compared to that produced by physical activation (1365 m2/gm).

The catalytic reduction of nitrate is a promising technology for groundwater purification because it transforms nitrate into nitrogen and water. Recent studies have mainly focused on new catalysts with higher activities for the reduction of nitrate. Consequently, metal nanoparticles supported on mesoporous metal oxides have become a major research direction. However, the complex surface chemistry and porous structures of mesoporous metal oxides lead to a non-uniform distribution of metal nanoparticles, thereby resulting in a low catalytic efficiency. In this paper, a method for synthesizing the sustainable nitrate reduction catalyst Pd-In/Al2O3 with a dimensional structure is introduced. The TEM results indicated that Pd and In nanoparticles could efficiently disperse into the mesopores of the alumina. At room temperature in CO2-buffered water and under continuous H2 as the electron donor, the synthesized material (4.9 wt% Pd) was the most active at a Pd-In ratio of 4, with a first-order rate constant (k(obs) = 0.241 L min(-1) g(cata)(-1)) that was 1.3× higher than that of conventional Pd-In/Al2O3 (5 wt% Pd; 0.19 L min(-1) g(cata)(-1)). The Pd-In/mesoporous alumina is a promising catalyst for improving the catalytic reduction of nitrate. PMID:25600582

Currently, Degussa P25, with the typical mixed phases of anatase and rutile TiO2, is widely applied as the commercial photocatalysts. However, there are still some of obstacles for the P25 nanoparticles with totally high photocatalytic activities, especially for the catalytic stability due to their inevitable aggregation of the nanoparticles when used as the photocatalysts. In the present work, we reported the exploration of a novel TiO2 photocatalyst, which could offer an ideal platform for synergetic combination of the mixed-phase composition, hollow architecture and mesoporous walls for the desired excellent photocatalytic efficiency and robust stability. The mesoporous TiO2 hollow nanofibers were fabricated via a facile single capillary electrospinning technique, in which the foaming agents were used for creating mesopores throughout the walls of the hollow fibers. The obtained hollow fibers exhibit a high purity and possess the mixed phases of 94.6% anatase and 5.4% rutile TiO2. As compared to P25, the as-fabricated mesoporous TiO2 hollow fibers exhibited much higher efficient photocatalytic activities and stabilities toward the hydrogen evolution with a rate of ~499.1 μmol g−1·h−1 and ~99.5% degradation Rhodamine B (RhB) in 60 min, suggesting their promising application in efficient photocatalysts. PMID:26470013

Currently, Degussa P25, with the typical mixed phases of anatase and rutile TiO2, is widely applied as the commercial photocatalysts. However, there are still some of obstacles for the P25 nanoparticles with totally high photocatalytic activities, especially for the catalytic stability due to their inevitable aggregation of the nanoparticles when used as the photocatalysts. In the present work, we reported the exploration of a novel TiO2 photocatalyst, which could offer an ideal platform for synergetic combination of the mixed-phase composition, hollow architecture and mesoporous walls for the desired excellent photocatalytic efficiency and robust stability. The mesoporous TiO2 hollow nanofibers were fabricated via a facile single capillary electrospinning technique, in which the foaming agents were used for creating mesopores throughout the walls of the hollow fibers. The obtained hollow fibers exhibit a high purity and possess the mixed phases of 94.6% anatase and 5.4% rutile TiO2. As compared to P25, the as-fabricated mesoporous TiO2 hollow fibers exhibited much higher efficient photocatalytic activities and stabilities toward the hydrogen evolution with a rate of ~499.1 μmol g(-1)·h(-1) and ~99.5% degradation Rhodamine B (RhB) in 60 min, suggesting their promising application in efficient photocatalysts. PMID:26470013

Currently, Degussa P25, with the typical mixed phases of anatase and rutile TiO2, is widely applied as the commercial photocatalysts. However, there are still some of obstacles for the P25 nanoparticles with totally high photocatalytic activities, especially for the catalytic stability due to their inevitable aggregation of the nanoparticles when used as the photocatalysts. In the present work, we reported the exploration of a novel TiO2 photocatalyst, which could offer an ideal platform for synergetic combination of the mixed-phase composition, hollow architecture and mesoporous walls for the desired excellent photocatalytic efficiency and robust stability. The mesoporous TiO2 hollow nanofibers were fabricated via a facile single capillary electrospinning technique, in which the foaming agents were used for creating mesopores throughout the walls of the hollow fibers. The obtained hollow fibers exhibit a high purity and possess the mixed phases of 94.6% anatase and 5.4% rutile TiO2. As compared to P25, the as-fabricated mesoporous TiO2 hollow fibers exhibited much higher efficient photocatalytic activities and stabilities toward the hydrogen evolution with a rate of ~499.1 μmol g-1·h-1 and ~99.5% degradation Rhodamine B (RhB) in 60 min, suggesting their promising application in efficient photocatalysts.

Mesoporouscarbon (MC) with tunable pore sizes (22nm, 12nm, 7nm, and 3nm) and pore volumes (from 1.3 to 4.8 cc/g) containing sulfur inside the pores were systematically studied as mesoporouscarbon-sulfur (MCS) composite electrodes for Li-S batteries. Investigation on these MCS composites reveals that the pore structure has no influence on the battery performance at full sulfur loading conditions (the pore volume is fully filled by sulfur) but the maximum sulfur loading capability is higher for MC with larger pore volume. MC with large pore volumes, partial sulfur filling (part of the pore volume left unfilled), and surface modification, can have reasonably high sulfur loading, improved electrical and ionic contacts of sulfur with MC and with electrolytes, which subsequently promotes the battery performance. An initial capacity of ~1250 mAh/g (based on sulfur) and 650 mAh/g capacity retention over 100 cycles were obtained with 50 wt% sulfur loading in the MC with 22nm pore size (4.8 cc/g). When the surface of MCS was coated with Clevios P to reduce the dissolve of polysulfide anions in electrolytes, it exhibits a high initial discharge capacity of ~1390 mAh/g and improved cycling stability with capacity retention of ~840 mAh/g over 100 cycles. The reported correlation among the structure, sulfur filling, surface modification and the electrochemical performance of the MCS composite cathodes provides guidance in designing new electrodes for lithium-sulfur batteries

In this paper, textural characterization of an activatedcarbon derived from carbonized coconut shell char obtained at carbonization temperature of 600 °C for 2 h by CO 2 activation was investigated. The effects of activation temperature, activation time and flow rate of CO 2 on the BET surface area, total volume, micropore volume and yield of activatedcarbons prepared were evaluated systematically. The results showed that: (i) enhancing activation temperature was favorable to the formation of pores, widening of pores and an increase in mesopores; (ii) increasing activation time was favorable to the formation of micropores and mesopores, and longer activation time would result in collapsing of pores; (iii) increasing flow rate of CO 2 was favorable to the reactions of all active sites and formation of pores, further increasing flow rate of CO 2 would lead carbon to burn out and was unfavorable to the formation of pores. The degree of surface roughness of activatedcarbon prepared was measured by the fractal dimension which was calculated by FHH (Frenkel-Halsey-Hill) theory. The fractal dimensions of activatedcarbons prepared were greater than 2.6, indicating the activatedcarbon samples prepared had very irregular structures, and agreed well with those of average micropore size.

Carbon nanomaterials with both doped heteroatom and porous structure represent a new class of carbon nanostructures for boosting electrochemical application, particularly sustainable electrochemical energy conversion and storage applications. We herein demonstrate a unique large-scale sustainable biomass conversion strategy for the synthesis of earth-abundant multifunctional carbon nanomaterials with well-defined doped heteroatom level and multimodal pores through pyrolyzing electrospinning renewable natural alginate. The key part for our chemical synthesis is that we found that the egg-box structure in cobalt alginate nanofiber can offer new opportunity to create large mesopores (∼10–40 nm) on the surface of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers. The as-prepared hierarchical carbon nanofibers with three-dimensional pathway for electron and ion transport are conceptually new as high-performance multifunctional electrochemical materials for boosting the performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), lithium ion batteries (LIBs), and supercapacitors (SCs). In particular, they show amazingly the same ORR activity as commercial Pt/C catalyst and much better long-term stability and methanol tolerance for ORR than Pt/C via a four-electron pathway in alkaline electrolyte. They also exhibit a large reversible capacity of 625 mAh g–1 at 1 A g–1, good rate capability, and excellent cycling performance for LIBs, making them among the best in all the reported carbon nanomaterials. They also represent highly efficient carbon nanomaterials for SCs with excellent capacitive behavior of 197 F g–1 at 1 A g–1 and superior stability. The present work highlights the importance of biomass-derived multifunctional mesoporouscarbon nanomaterials in enhancing electrochemical catalysis and energy storage. PMID:27162980

Carbon nanomaterials with both doped heteroatom and porous structure represent a new class of carbon nanostructures for boosting electrochemical application, particularly sustainable electrochemical energy conversion and storage applications. We herein demonstrate a unique large-scale sustainable biomass conversion strategy for the synthesis of earth-abundant multifunctional carbon nanomaterials with well-defined doped heteroatom level and multimodal pores through pyrolyzing electrospinning renewable natural alginate. The key part for our chemical synthesis is that we found that the egg-box structure in cobalt alginate nanofiber can offer new opportunity to create large mesopores (∼10-40 nm) on the surface of nitrogen-doped carbon nanofibers. The as-prepared hierarchical carbon nanofibers with three-dimensional pathway for electron and ion transport are conceptually new as high-performance multifunctional electrochemical materials for boosting the performance of oxygen reduction reaction (ORR), lithium ion batteries (LIBs), and supercapacitors (SCs). In particular, they show amazingly the same ORR activity as commercial Pt/C catalyst and much better long-term stability and methanol tolerance for ORR than Pt/C via a four-electron pathway in alkaline electrolyte. They also exhibit a large reversible capacity of 625 mAh g(-1) at 1 A g(-1), good rate capability, and excellent cycling performance for LIBs, making them among the best in all the reported carbon nanomaterials. They also represent highly efficient carbon nanomaterials for SCs with excellent capacitive behavior of 197 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) and superior stability. The present work highlights the importance of biomass-derived multifunctional mesoporouscarbon nanomaterials in enhancing electrochemical catalysis and energy storage. PMID:27162980

High-performance mesoporouscarbons (MCs) for supercapacitors were made from rice husk by one-step microwave-assisted ZnCl2 activation. The microstructures of MCs as-made were characterized by field emission scanning electron microscopy and transmission electron microscopy. The pore structure parameters of MCs were obtained by N2 adsorption technique. The electrochemical properties of MC electrodes were studied by constant current charge-discharge, cyclic voltammetry and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy in different electrolytes. The results showed that the specific surface area of MC4 made at the ZnCl2/rice husk mass of 4:1 reached 1737 m2 g(-1). The specific capacitance and energy density of the electrodes fabricated from the mixture of MC4 and microporous carbon increased with the mass percentage of MC4, reaching 157 F g(-1) and 84 Wh kg(-1) at 0.05 A g(-1), and showed good cycle stability in 1-butyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate electrolyte. Compared to the often-used aqueous and organic electrolytes, MC4 capacitor exhibited extremely high energy density in ionic liquid electrolyte, remaining at 28 Wh kg(-1) at 1684 W kg(-1). This work paves a new way to produce cost-effective MCs from biomass for supercapacitors with extremely high energy density in ionic liquid electrolytes. PMID:27455718

A facile approach to maintain the periodic mesostructure of cylindrical pores in polymer-resin and carbon films after thermal template removal is explored through the reactive coassembly of resol (carbon precursor) and tetraethylorthosilicate (silica precursor) with triblock copolymer Pluronic F127. Without silica, a low porosity, disordered film is formed after pyrolysis despite the presence of an ordered mesostructure prior to template removal. However for silica concentration greater than 25 wt %, pyrolysis at 350 C yields a mesoporous silica-polymer film with well-defined pore mesostructure. These films remain well ordered upon carbonization at 800 C. In addition to the mesostructural stability, the addition of silica to the matrix impacts other morphological characteristics. For example, the average pore size and porosity of the films increase from 3.2 to 7.5 nm and 12 to 45%, respectively, as the concentration of silica in the wall matrix increases from 0 to 32 wt %. The improved thermal stability of the ordered mesostructure with the addition of silica to the matrix is attributed to the reinforcement of the mechanical properties leading to resistance to stress induced collapse of the mesostructure during template removal.

This work reports on a facile, novel multianalyte electrochemical immunoassay for simultaneous detection of a-fetoprotein (AFP) and human epidermal growth factor receptor type-2 (HER-2) using metal-containing nanomaterials confined in the ordered mesoporouscarbon matrix (OMC-M) as labels. Well-dispersed uniform metallic nanocrystallites incorporated OMC materials were fabricated through a simple, economical, and green preparative strategy toward phenolic resol as a carbon source and metal nitrate as metal sources. The large amount of metallic nanocrystallites loading on the OMC nanomaterials, greatly amplified the detection signals, and the good biocompatibility of carbon nanotubes-chitosan retained excellent stability for the sandwich-type immunoassay. Under optimal experimental conditions, the proposed immunoassay exhibited high sensitivity and selectivity for the detection of analytes, providing a better linear response range from 0.001 to 150 ng/mL for AFP and for HER-2, with a lower limit of detectionof 0.6p g/mL and 0.35 pg/mL (S/N=3), respectively. The immunosensor exhibited convenience, low cost, rapidity, good specificity, acceptable stability and reproducibility. Moreover, satisfactory results were obtained for the determination of AFP and HER-2 in real human serum samples, indicating that the developed immunoassay has the potential to find application in clinical detection of AFP and HER-2 and other tumor markers as an alternative approach. PMID:26046316

Optically pure D-amino acids are industrially important chiral building blocks for the synthesis of pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, and drug intermediates. Chemoenzymatic dynamic kinetic-resolution processes have recently been developed for deracemization of amino acids. S-ARCA would be a good candidate for the selective adsorption of D amino acid through the imine formation reaction. The organic phase containing S-ARCA adsorbent, TPPC or Ionic Liquid (as a phase transfer catalyst) in MC were coated on the surfaces of mesoporouscarbon C-SBA-15(CMK). The aqueous solution of racemic D/L-amino acid and NaOH were added to the carbon support coated with ARCA. The D/L ratios on ARCA and in solution were determined with increasing reaction time. S-ARCA has a unique property for the selective adsorption of D- amino acid (up to 90% selcetivity) in the racemic mixture. The fixed bed reactor containing ARCA/carbon support was also adopted successfully for the selective separation of amino acid.

The present review is focused on a specific class of nanocomposites obtained through integration of graphene or carbon-based nanomaterials (such as carbon nanodots) with mesoporous inorganic or hybrid materials, obtained via template assisted self-assembly. The task of integrating graphene and carbon nanodots with a self-assembly process is still very challenging and this review shows some of the solutions which have been envisaged so far. These nanocomposite materials are an ideal interactive platform for developing innovative functional applications; they have a high capability of undergoing integration into advanced devices, which well exploits the advantage of tuning the wide properties and flexibility of the soft-chemistry route. A wide range of applications have been developed so far which span from sensing to electronics up to optics and biomedicine. Even though a large number of proof-of-concepts have been reported to date, an even greater expansion of applications in the field is expected to happen in the near future.

Mesoporous iron phosphate is found to be a highly active and recyclable heterogeneous catalyst for the selective synthesis of nopol by Prins condensation of ?-pinene and paraformaldehyde in acetonitrile at 80 oC.

A study on the development of high-power supercapacitor materials based on formation of thick mesoporous MnO2 shells on a highly conductive 3D template using vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs). Coaxial manganese shells of 100 to 600 nm nominal thicknesses are sputter-coated on VACNFs and then electrochemically oxidized into rose-petal-like mesoporous MnO2 structure. Such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid architecture provides enhanced ion diffusion throughout the whole MnO2 shell and yields excellent current collection capability through the VACNF electrode. These two effects collectively enable faster electrochemical reactions during charge-discharge of MnO2 in 1 M Na2SO4. Thick MnO2 shells (up to 200 nm in radial thickness) can be employed, giving a specific capacitance up to 437 F g-1. More importantly, supercapacitors employing such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid electrode illustrate more than one order of magnitude higher specific power than the state-of-the-art ones based on other MnO2 structures, reaching ~240 kW kg-1, while maintaining a comparable specific energy in the range of 1 to 10 Wh kg-1. This hybrid approach demonstrates the potential of 3D core-shell architectures for high-power energy storage devices.A study on the development of high-power supercapacitor materials based on formation of thick mesoporous MnO2 shells on a highly conductive 3D template using vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs). Coaxial manganese shells of 100 to 600 nm nominal thicknesses are sputter-coated on VACNFs and then electrochemically oxidized into rose-petal-like mesoporous MnO2 structure. Such a 3D MnO2/VACNF hybrid architecture provides enhanced ion diffusion throughout the whole MnO2 shell and yields excellent current collection capability through the VACNF electrode. These two effects collectively enable faster electrochemical reactions during charge-discharge of MnO2 in 1 M Na2SO4. Thick MnO2 shells (up to 200 nm in radial thickness) can be employed, giving a

An effective one-pot hydrothermal method for in situ filling of multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT, diameter of 20–40 nm, length of 30–100 μm) with ultrafine ferroferric oxide (Fe3O4) nanoparticles (8–10 nm) has been demonstrated. The synthesized Fe3O4@CNT exhibited a mesoporous texture with a specific surface area of 109.4 m2 g−1. The loading of CNT, in terms of the weight ratio of Fe3O4 nanoparticles, can reach as high as 66.5 wt%. Compared to the conventional method of using a Al2O3 membrane as template to fill CNT with iron oxides nanoparticles, our strategy is facile, effective, low cost and easy to scale up to large scale production (~1.42 g per one-pot). When evaluated for lithium storage at 1.0 C (1 C = 928 mA g−1), the mesoporous Fe3O4@CNT can retain at 358.9 mAh g−1 after 60 cycles. Even when cycled at high rate of 20 C, high capacity of 275.2 mAh g−1 could still be achieved. At high rate (10 C) and long life cycling (500 cycles), the cells still exhibit a good capacity of 137.5 mAhg−1. PMID:26631536

In vitro drug release from well-defined particle-size fractions of the mesoporous magnesium carbonate material Upsalite(®) was investigated in detail using ibuprofen, a biopharmaceutics classification system class II drug, as the model compound. The weight of loaded drug corresponded to 30% of the weight of the carrier and the pores were filled to approximately 80%. The incorporated ibuprofen was found to be in an amorphous state and was physisorbed, rather than chemisorbed, to the surfaces of the pore walls. In contrast to ibuprofen in mesoporous silica, there was no detectable drug on the outer surface of the carrier particles. Two ibuprofen doses were loaded into Upsalite(®) particles with size fractions ranging from 25 μm to more than 200 μm. The initial release rate was controlled by the particle size; the dissolution rate of the loaded ibuprofen during this period was more than four times faster than that of the crystalline drug. An extended-release period of about 24 h followed the initial rapid-release period. The features of this extended-release period were dependent on the total drug concentration in the release medium. Detailed analysis of the diffusion of ibuprofen in Upsalite(®) provided the ibuprofen diffusion coefficient (9.8 × 10(-8) cm(2)/s), the constrictivity of the diffusion process (0.47) and the tortuosity of the carrier (15). This relatively high tortuosity value indicates that Upsalite(®) can be used not only to enhance the dissolution rate of poorly soluble drugs but also as a carrier in sustained-release applications by using larger particle sizes or even pellets of the material. PMID:26087956

A temperature-responsive composite based on poly (N-isopropylacrylamide) (PNIPAAm) and ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) has been successfully prepared by a simple wetness impregnation technique. The structures and properties of the composite were characterized by infrared spectroscopy (IR), X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), N{sub 2} sorption, thermogravimetric analysis (TG) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The results showed that the inclusion of PNIPAAm had not greatly changed the basic ordered pore structure of the OMCs. Ibuprofen (IBU) was selected as model drug, and in vitro test of IBU release exhibited a temperature-responsive controlled release delivery. - Graphical abstract: The bands located at 1650 and 1549 cm{sup -1} could be assigned to C=O stretching and N-H bending vibrations for polymer PNIPAAm (a). The bands at 1388 and 1369 cm{sup -1} were due to isopropyl group, and the band at 1459 cm{sup -1} was related to the bending vibration of C-H (a). For the PNIPAAm/OMCs composite, the characteristic bands of polymer were still observed besides those for carbon materials and the bands at around 1585 cm{sup -1} and a broad band at about 1100 cm{sup -1} were characteristics for the carbon materials(c). In addition, little shifts of C=O and N-H bands compared to the pure PNIPAAm were also observed (b), indicating a weak interaction between the polymer and carbon material. These results could be a proof that the PNIPAAm has been incorporated into the carbon material. Highlights: > A temperature-responsive PNIPAAm/OMCs composite was successfully synthesized by a simple wetness impregnation technique for the first time. > The inclusion of PNIPAAm had not greatly changed the basic ordered pore structure of the OMCs. > In vitro test of IBU release exhibited a temperature-responsive controlled release delivery.

Magnetic mesoporouscarbon microspheres with a yolk-shell structure (YSMMCS) have been prepared via a new in situ carbon source strategy. The material was fabricated by two shells coated onto the Fe3O4 particles; the inner dense and thick silica shell could protect the magnetic core from harsh acidic solvents as well as induce the void between the core and the outer shell for the yolk-shell structure, while the outer organosilica shell was used as the template and carbon source for in situ preparation of a carbon shell with mesoporous structure. A C18-alkyl chain was incorporated in situ as the carbon precursor efficiently, avoiding the conventional infiltration step, which was very difficult to manipulate and time-consuming with the possibility of losing the carbon precursor. The resulting yolk-shell magnetic mesoporouscarbon microspheres exhibited a high surface area (273.15 m(2) g(-1)), a large pore volume (0.31 cm(3) g(-1)), and a strong magnetic response (a saturation magnetization value of 34.57 emu g(-1)). As a result of the void between the core and the outer shell and the π-π stacking effect, adsorption capacity reached 191.64 mg g(-1) by using Rhodamine B as a standard analyte, indicating the great potential application of the material as drug carriers. Owing to the inherent hydrophobicity and high surface area, the composite material showed better performance in the enrichment of peptides than a magnetic mesoporous silica material (Fe2O3@nSiO2@mSiO2). According to the LC-MS/MS results, about 51 and 29 nonredundant peptides were identified from tryptic digests of 5 nM BSA. Additionally, taking advantage of the mesoporous structure and strong magnetic response, the material was utilized to selectively extract low abundance endogenous peptides from human serum in the presence of high abundance proteins. Based on the LC-MS/MS results, 962 endogenous peptides were obtained by 2.5 mg YSMMCS relative to 539 endogenous peptides by 5 mg Fe2O3@nSiO2@mSiO2

Novel nanostructured sulfur (S)-carbide derived carbon (CDC) composites with ordered mesopores and high S content are successfully prepared for lithium sulfur batteries. The tunable pore-size distribution and high pore volume of CDC allow for an excellent electrochemical performance of the composites at high current densities. A higher electrolyte molarity is found to enhance the capacity utilization dramatically and reduce S dissolution in S-CDC composite cathodes during cycling. PMID:23813659

Nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) have been synthesized via aqueous cooperative assembly route in the presence of basic amino acids as either polymerization catalysts or nitrogen dopants. This method allows the large-scale production of nitrogen-doped OMCs with tunable composition, structure and morphology while maintaining highly ordered mesostructures. For instances, the nitrogen content can be varied from ∼1 wt% to ∼6.3 wt% and the mesophase can be either 3-D body-centered cubic or 2-D hexagonal. The specific surface area for typical OMCs is around 600 m2 g-1, and further KOH activation can significantly enhance the surface area to 1866 m2 g-1 without destroying the ordered mesostructures. Benefiting from hierarchically ordered porous structure, nitrogen-doping effect and large-scale production availability, the synthesized OMCs show a great potential towards supercapacitor application. When measured in a symmetrical two-electrode configuration with an areal mass loading of ∼3 mg cm-2, the activated OMC exhibits high capacitance (186 F g-1 at 0.25 A g-1) and good rate capability (75% capacity retention at 20 A g-1) in ionic liquid electrolyte. Even as the mass loading is up to ∼12 mg cm-2, the OMC electrode still yields a specific capacitance of 126 F g-1 at 20 A g-1.

Activatedcarbon aerogel spheres (A-CAS) were successfully prepared by imposing KOH activation on aerogel spheres. It was found that the activation treatment did not destroy the order of the surface of the carbon aerogel spheres (CAS), but it improved the pore structure and adsorption performance of the products. With increasing burn-off, the amount of mesopores first decreased and then increased, with the amount of micropores continuously increasing. The highest measured BET surface area and micropore surface area reached 1198 and 786 m2/g, respectively. The adsorption capacity of benzene organic vapour on the A-CAS is more than eight times as large as that on CAS.

Highlights: ► Tailored 3D cubic Ni/KIT-6 with large pores was synthesized successfully. ► The new hybrid g-CNTs in large scale were synthesized using Ni/KIT-6 by CVD method. ► The use of mesoporous material by CVD method would be an ideal choice to prepare g-CNTs at reasonable cost. ► This type of g-CNTs might be a new avenue for nano-electronic applications. - Abstract: The new hybrid of graphenated carbon nanotubes (g-CNTs) was superior to either CNTs or graphene. Mesoporous 3D cubic Ni/KIT-6 were synthesized hydrothermally through organic template route and then were used as catalytic template for the production of g-CNTs using acetylene as a carbon precursor by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. The deposited new hybrid carbon materials were purified and analyzed by various physico-chemical techniques such as XRD, TGA, SEM, TEM and Raman spectroscopy techniques. The graphitization of CNTs was confirmed by TGA and HRTEM studies. Thermal stability, surface morphology, and structural morphology of these materials were revealed by TGA, SEM and TEM analysis, respectively. Moreover, the tailored mesoporous Ni/KIT-6 molecular sieves were found to possess better quality and massive quantity of g-CNTs produced compared to other catalytic template route.

In this paper, a gradient mesoporouscarbon (GMC) monolith derived from the mixtures of phenolic resin (PF) and ethylene glycol (EG) was prepared by a facile route based on polymerization-induced phase separation under temperature gradient (TG). A graded biphasic structure of PF-rich and EG-rich phases was first formed in preform under a TG, and then the preform was pyrolyzed to obtain the GMC monolith. The TG is mainly induced by the thermal resistance of the preferential phase separation layer at high temperature region. The pore structure of the monolith changes gradually along the TG direction. When the TG varies from 58°C to 29°C, the pore size, apparent porosity and specific surface area of the monolith range respectively from 18 nm to 83 nm, from 32% to 39% and from 140.5 m2/g to 515.3 m2/g. The gradient porous structure of the monolith is inherited from that of the preform, which depends on phase separation under TG in the resin mixtures. The pyrolysis mainly brings about the contraction of the pore size and wall thickness as well as the transformation of polymerized PF into glassy carbon.

In this work, magnetic ordered mesoporouscarbon adsorbent was synthesized using soft templating method to adsorb sulfur from model oil (dibenzothiophene in n-hexane). Through this research, pluronic F-127, resorcinol-formaldehyde and hydrated iron nitrate were respectively used as soft template, carbon source and iron source. The adsorbent was characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm and transmission electron microscopy. Nitrogen adsorption-desorption measurement revealed the high surface area (810 m2 g-1), maxima pore size of 3.3 nm and large pore volume (1.01 cm3 g-1) of the synthesized sample. The adsorbent showed a maximum adsorption capacity of 111 mg dibenzothiophene g-1 of adsorbent. Sorption process was described by the pseudo-second-order rate equation and could be better fitted by the Freundlich model, showing the heterogeneous feature of the adsorption process. In addition, the adsorption capacity of regenerated adsorbent was 78.6% of the initial level, after five regeneration cycles.

Hydrodeoxygenation (HDO) is an attractive route for the upgrading of bio-oils produced from lignocellulose. Current catalysts require harsh conditions to effect HDO, decreasing the process efficiency in terms of energy and carbon balance. Herein we report a novel and facile method for synthesizing bimetallic PtCo nanoparticle catalysts (ca. 1.5 nm) highly dispersed in the framework of nitrogen-doped ordered mesoporouscarbon (NOMC) for this reaction. We demonstrate that NOMC with either 2D hexagonal (p6m) or 3D cubic (Im3‾ m) structure can be easily synthesized by simply adjusting the polymerization temperature. We also demonstrate that PtCo/NOMC (metal loading: Pt 9.90 wt %; Co 3.31 wt %) is a highly effective catalyst for HDO of phenolic compounds and "real-world" biomass-derived phenolic streams. In the presence of PtCo/NOMC, full deoxygenation of phenolic compounds and a biomass-derived phenolic stream is achieved under conditions of low severity. PMID:27294563

Pd nanoparticles with different sizes and diameter distributions were successfully deposited on the surface of disordered mesoporouscarbon spheres (DMHCS). The size and diameter distribution of the Pd particles were controlled by the application of different experimental conditions. Two methods of synthesis (reflux and impregnation) and two Pd precursors (palladium (II) acetyloacetonate (Pd(acac) 2) and palladium (II) acetate (Pd(OAc)2)) were investigated and compared for the preparation of Pd-decorated DMHCS. The hydrogen storage properties of the pristine DMHCS and Pd-modified DMHCS at 40 °C and a pressure range of 0-45 bar were studied. The results showed that Pd-supported carbon samples synthesized in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 exhibited enhanced hydrogen storage capacity in respect to the pristine DMHCS. The maximum hydrogen storage of 0.38 wt.% exhibited the sample with the Pd nanoparticle diameter distribution of 2-14 nm and the average Pd crystallite size of 7.6 nm. It was found that the Pd nanoparticle content, size, and diameter distribution have a noticeable influence on H2 storage capacity. PMID:26518029

Pd nanoparticles with different sizes and diameter distributions were successfully deposited on the surface of disordered mesoporouscarbon spheres (DMHCS). The size and diameter distribution of the Pd particles were controlled by the application of different experimental conditions. Two methods of synthesis (reflux and impregnation) and two Pd precursors (palladium (II) acetyloacetonate (Pd (acac ) 2) and palladium (II) acetate (Pd(OAc)2)) were investigated and compared for the preparation of Pd-decorated DMHCS. The hydrogen storage properties of the pristine DMHCS and Pd-modified DMHCS at 40 °C and a pressure range of 0-45 bar were studied. The results showed that Pd-supported carbon samples synthesized in the presence of Pd(OAc)2 exhibited enhanced hydrogen storage capacity in respect to the pristine DMHCS. The maximum hydrogen storage of 0.38 wt.% exhibited the sample with the Pd nanoparticle diameter distribution of 2-14 nm and the average Pd crystallite size of 7.6 nm. It was found that the Pd nanoparticle content, size, and diameter distribution have a noticeable influence on H2 storage capacity.

Porous carbon with high specific surface area (SSA), a reasonable pore size distribution, and modified surface chemistry is highly desirable for application in energy storage devices. Herein, we report the synthesis of nitrogen-containing mesoporouscarbon with high SSA (1390 m(2) g(-1) ), a suitable pore size distribution (1.5-8.1 nm), and a nitrogen content of 4.7 wt % through a facile one-step self-assembly process. Owing to its unique physical characteristics and nitrogen doping, this material demonstrates great promise for application in both supercapacitors and encapsulating sulfur as a superior cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. When deployed as a supercapacitor electrode, it exhibited a high specific capacitance of 238.4 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) and an excellent rate capability (180 F g(-1) , 10 A g(-1) ). Furthermore, when an NMC/S electrode was evaluated as the cathode material for lithium-sulfur batteries, it showed a high initial discharge capacity of 1143.6 mA h g(-1) at 837.5 mA g(-1) and an extraordinary cycling stability with 70.3 % capacity retention after 100 cycles. PMID:26849174

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an emerging novel technology for water treatment which uses an electrical field to adsorb ions to oppositely charged high porous media. The most distinguished feature of CDI is its ability to retrieve a fraction of the energy consumed for desalination during the regeneration cycle. Here, we propose a new architecture aiming to improve the overall performance of CDI. In this method, an array of CDI cells are connected in series with solution buffers in between them. The buffer solution homogenizes the outlet concentration of the preceding cell and supplies a constant concentration reservoir for the next cell. The performance of the proposed CDI system with two CDI cells and one solution buffer was compared with a two-cascaded-cells array with no solution buffer. The obtained results demonstrated the superiority of the proposed buffered system, in terms of desalination percentage. In addition, a new method for fabricating ordered mesoporouscarbon electrodes was introduced aimed at reducing the electrical resistance of the system and enhancing its adsorption capacity. Performance of the electrodes was evaluated using Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) and Cyclic Voltammetry (CV). The proposed methods provide great potentials for CDI to be implemented in larger scales and industrial applications. The author would like to thank Jabulani Barber for all his help and support on manufacturing the carbon films.

Mesoporouscarbon (MC) spheres with hierarchical pores, controlled pore volume and high specific surface areas have been prepared by a mass-producible spray drying assisted template method using sodium alginate as carbon precursor and commercial colloidal silica particles as hard template. The resulting MC spheres, possessing hierarchical pores in the range of 3-30 nm, are employed as conductive matrices for the preparation of cathode materials for lithium-sulfur batteries. A high pressure induced one-step impregnation of elemental sulfur into the pore of the MC spheres has been exploited. The electrochemical performances of sulfur-impregnated MC spheres (S-MC) derived from MC spheres with different pore volume and specific surface area but with the same sulfur loading ratio of 60 wt% (S-MC-X-60) have been investigated in details. The S-MC-4-60 composite cathode material displayed a high initial discharge capacity of 1388 mAhg-1 and a good cycling stability of 857 mAhg-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C, and shows also excellent rate capability of 864 mAhg-1 at 2C. More importantly, the sulfur loading content in MC-4 spheres can reach as high as 80%, and it still can deliver a capacity of 569 mAhg-1 after 100 cycles at 0.2C.

Gallic acid has been covalently conjugated to SBA-15 mesoporous silica surface through different linkers. Cytotoxic activity of the hybrid organic-inorganic systems against HeLa and KB cell lines has been analyzed. Up to 67% of HeLa or KB tumor cells growth inhibition has been achieved at low silica concentration used (10 μg mL-1). PMID:26151908

Activatedcarbon particles for use as iodine trapping material are impregnated with a mixture of selected iodine and potassium compounds to improve the iodine retention properties of the carbon. The I/K ratio is maintained at less than about 1 and the pH is maintained at above about 8.0. The iodine retention of activatedcarbon previously treated with or coimpregnated with triethylenediamine can also be improved by this technique. Suitable flame retardants can be added to raise the ignition temperature of the carbon to acceptable standards.

Controlling over ordered porosity by self-assembly is challenging in the area of materials science. Materials with highly ordered aperture are favorable candidates in catalysis and energy conversion device. Here we describe a facile process to synthesize highly ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) by direct tri-constituent co-assembly method, which uses resols as the carbon precursor, tri-block copolymer F127 as the soft template and tetraethoxysilane (TEOS) as the inorganic precursor. The obtained products are characterized by small-angle X-ray diffraction (SAXD), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) nitrogen sorption-desorption measurement and transmission electron microscope (TEM). The results indicate that the OMC possesses high surface areas of 1209 m2 g-1, homogeneous pore size of 4.6 nm and a large pore volume of 1.65 cm3 g-1. The advantages of high electrochemical active surface area and favorable accessible porosity of OMC benefit the catalysis of I3- to I-. As a result, the OMC counter electrode displays a remarkable property when it was applied in dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). For comparison, carbon black (CB) counter electrode and Pt counter electrode have also been prepared. When these different counter electrodes were applied for dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs), the power-conversion efficiency (η) of the DSSCs with CB counter electrode are measured to be 5.10%, whereas the corresponding values is 6.39% for the DSSC with OMC counter electrode, which is comparable to 6.84% of the cell with Pt counter electrode under the same experimental conditions.

In this report, we describe the preparation and electrochemical characterization of a Pt electrocatalyst, which was synthesized from hexachloroplatinic acid, using the incipient wetness impregnation method. This carbonmesoporous materials (Pt-CMMs) electrocatalyst was used for catalyzing the oxidation of methanol and its oxygen-reduction reaction. The electrocatalytic oxidation of methanol was studied using linear-sweep voltammograms (LSV), polarization and chronoamperometric measurements. Phase characterizations and morphological analyses were performed using 3D excitation-emission fluorescent matrix (EEFM) spectroscopy, UV-Vis absorption measurements, and X-ray diffraction (XRD) and environmental scanning electron microscopy (ESEM) techniques; the ESEM system was equipped with an energy-dispersive spectrometer (EDS). The oxidation capacity measured using a LSV might explain the high activity exhibited by the Pt-CMM electrocatalysts in methanol-tolerant oxygen reduction, and the results demonstrated that the potential and current density of the main reaction peak of the Pt-CMMs electrocatalyst changed during the reaction. Moreover, EEFM spectroscopy and XRD were determined to be appropriate and effective methods for characterizing Pt clusters that enhance their intrinsic emission from Pt-CMMs electrocatalysts in electrocatalytic-treatment systems. Furthermore, the ESEM-EDS results showed that fresh Pt nanoparticles were highly dispersed on CMMs and featured a 20 nm diameter and a narrow particle-size distribution. PMID:25168212

Copper-containing mesoporouscarbons (XCu-MC) with different copper content (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) were prepared by a single-step surfactant-templating method. Rhenium nano-catalysts supported on copper-containing mesoporouscarbons (Re/XCu-MC) were then prepared by an incipient wetness method. Re/XCu-MC (X = 8.0, 12.7, 15.9, 23.3, and 26.8 wt%) catalysts were characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption isotherm, HR-TEM, FT-IR, and H2- TPR analyses. Liquid-phase hydrogenation of succinic acid to 1,4-butanediol (BDO) via dimethyl succinate (DMS) was carried out over Re/XCu-MC catalysts in a batch reactor. The effect of copper content on the physicochemical properties and catalytic activities of Re/XCu-MC catalysts in the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO was investigated. Re/XCu-MC catalysts retained different physicochemical properties depending on copper content. In the hydrogenation of succinic acid to BDO, yield for BDO showed a volcano-shaped trend with respect to copper content. Thus, an optimal copper content was required to achieve maximum catalytic performance of Re/XCu-MC. It was also observed that yield for BDO increased with increasing the amount of hydrogen consumption by copper in the Re/XCu-MC catalysts. PMID:25958619

Magnetic mesoporouscarbon microspheres with a yolk-shell structure (YSMMCS) have been prepared via a new in situ carbon source strategy. The material was fabricated by two shells coated onto the Fe3O4 particles; the inner dense and thick silica shell could protect the magnetic core from harsh acidic solvents as well as induce the void between the core and the outer shell for the yolk-shell structure, while the outer organosilica shell was used as the template and carbon source for in situ preparation of a carbon shell with mesoporous structure. A C18-alkyl chain was incorporated in situ as the carbon precursor efficiently, avoiding the conventional infiltration step, which was very difficult to manipulate and time-consuming with the possibility of losing the carbon precursor. The resulting yolk-shell magnetic mesoporouscarbon microspheres exhibited a high surface area (273.15 m2 g-1), a large pore volume (0.31 cm3 g-1), and a strong magnetic response (a saturation magnetization value of 34.57 emu g-1). As a result of the void between the core and the outer shell and the π-π stacking effect, adsorption capacity reached 191.64 mg g-1 by using Rhodamine B as a standard analyte, indicating the great potential application of the material as drug carriers. Owing to the inherent hydrophobicity and high surface area, the composite material showed better performance in the enrichment of peptides than a magnetic mesoporous silica material (Fe2O3@nSiO2@mSiO2). According to the LC-MS/MS results, about 51 and 29 nonredundant peptides were identified from tryptic digests of 5 nM BSA. Additionally, taking advantage of the mesoporous structure and strong magnetic response, the material was utilized to selectively extract low abundance endogenous peptides from human serum in the presence of high abundance proteins. Based on the LC-MS/MS results, 962 endogenous peptides were obtained by 2.5 mg YSMMCS relative to 539 endogenous peptides by 5 mg Fe2O3@nSiO2@mSiO2, confirming the

Mesoporous silica synthesized from the cocondensation of tetraethoxysilane and silylated carbon dots containing an amide group has been adopted as the carrier for the in situ growth of TiO2 through an impregnation-hydrothermal crystallization process. Benefitting from initial complexation between the titania precursor and carbon dot, highly dispersed anatase TiO2 nanoparticles can be formed inside the mesoporous channel. The hybrid material possesses an ordered hexagonal mesostructure with p6mm symmetry, a high specific surface area (446.27 m(2) g(-1) ), large pore volume (0.57 cm(3) g(-1) ), uniform pore size (5.11 nm), and a wide absorption band between λ=300 and 550 nm. TiO2 nanocrystals are anchored to the carbon dot through TiON and TiOC bonds, as revealed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Moreover, the nitrogen doping of TiO2 is also verified by the formation of the TiN bond. This composite shows excellent adsorption capabilities for 2,4-dichlorophenol and acid orange 7, with an electron-deficient aromatic ring, through electron donor-acceptor interactions between the carbon dot and organic compounds instead of the hydrophobic effect, as analyzed by the contact angle analysis. The composite can be photocatalytically recycled through visible-light irradiation after adsorption. The narrowed band gap, as a result of nitrogen doping, and the photosensitization effect of carbon dots are revealed to be coresponsible for the visible-light activity of TiO2 . The adsorption capacity does not suffer any clear losses after being recycled three times. PMID:26487497

In this study, a highly effective transmembrane delivery vehicle based on PEGylated oxidized mesoporouscarbon nanosphere (oMCN@PEG) was successfully fabricated in a facile strategy. oMCN@PEG exhibited a narrow size distribution of 90 nm, excellent hydrophilicity, good biocompatibility, and a very high loading efficiency for doxorubicin (DOX). The drug system (oMCN@DOX@PEG) exhibited excellent stability under neutral pH conditions, but with dramatic releases of DOX at reduced pH conditions. Pharmacokinetics study revealed that oMCN@DOX@PEG could prolong the circulation of DOX in the blood stream. The endocytosis, cytotoxicity, and anticancer effect in vitro and in vivo of the drug-loaded nanoparticles were also evaluated. Our results showed that the nanoparticles efficiently penetrated the membrane of tumor cells, subsequently released drugs, and efficiently inhibited the growth of cancer cells both in vitro and in vivo. Especially, oMCN@DOX@PEG also exhibited significant antimetastasis effect in advanced stage of malignant cancer, improving the survival time of tumor-bearing mice. The results suggested that oMCN@PEG might be a promising anticancer drug delivery vehicle for cancer therapy. PMID:27175077

A new electrochemical sensor based on gold nanoparticles mesoporous silica modified carbon paste electrode (AuNPs-MPS) was developed for simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol. Morphology and structure of the AuNPs-MPS were characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. The electrochemical behavior of hydroquinone and catechol were investigated using square wave voltammetry and the results indicate that the electrochemical responses are improved significantly at the modified electrode. The observed oxidative peaks separation of about 120mV made possible the simultaneous determination of hydroquinone and catechol in their binary-mixture. Under the optimized condition, a linear dynamic range of 10.0μM-1.0mM range for hydroquinone with the detection limit of 1.2μM and from 30.0μM-1.0mM for catechol with the detection limit of 1.1μM were obtained. The applicability of the method was demonstrated by the recovery studies of hydroquinone and catechol in spiked tap water samples. PMID:27420383

A series of nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon materials (NMC) with different nitrogen contents (from 9.1 to 11.3 wt.%) were prepared using urea and ammonia as economical nitrogen resources by sol-gel method. The NMC materials possessed high surface areas (from 659 m(2)/g to 912 m(2)/g) as well as large number of oxygen-containing and nitrogen-containing groups. The adsorption behaviors of NMC materials for anionic dye methyl orange (MO) were investigated, which are fit excellent for the Langmuir isothermal adsorption equation. All the materials exhibited high adsorption capacity for MO at room temperature. Their adsorption capacity can be adjusted by changing the nitrogen contents in NMC materials. Moreover, treating the NMC material at higher temperature can significantly improve the adsorption capacity for MO. According to the results of characterization, the main features of NMC materials, like large pore size and abundant basic nitrogen-containing groups on the surface, should be related to the excellent adsorption property for MO. PMID:26748066

Designing bioresponsive nanocarriers for controlled and efficient intracellular drug release for cancer therapy is a major thrust area in nanomedicine. With recent recognition by the US FDA as a safe material for human trials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are being extensively explored as promising theranostic agents. Green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs), though known as possible alternatives for their more toxic and relatively less efficient predecessors, are less known as gate keepers for drug release control. We report for the first time an efficient bioresponse of CQDs when judiciously designed using glutathione cleavable (redox responsive) disulphide bonds. When the anticancer drug doxorubicin loaded MSNPs are capped with these CQDs, they display promising drug release control on exposure to a mimicked intracellular cancer environment. Their dual functionality is well established with good control on preventing the premature release and exceptional bio-imaging of HeLa cancer cells. Fluorescence images prove selective targeting of HeLa cells by overexpression of folate receptors from the surface functionalised folic acid ligand. Extensive characterisation using XRD, TEM, BET analysis, drug loading tests, drug release kinetics, MTT assay and fluoroscence cell imaging helps in understanding the multifunctionalities of the successful design, extending its scope with exciting prospects towards non-invasive targeted drug delivery and bio-imaging for effective cancer diagnosis and treatment. PMID:26753966

This paper is to prepare curcumin (Cur) loaded mesoporous silica nanoparticle (Cur-MSN), evaluate its release behavior and anti-cancer activity in vitro. Mesoporous silica nanoparticle (MSN) was prepared by polymerization method and Cur-MSN was obtained using solvent evaporation method and impregnation centrifugation method. The preparation method was optimized using entrapment efficiency (EE) and loading efficiency (LE) as indexes. Cur-MSN was characterized with scanning electron microscope and its particle size and zeta potential were determined. Finally, in vitro release behavior in 0.2% SDS solution and its cell-killing effect on HeLa cells were also evaluated. The Cur-MSN prepared with process optimization method was round and uniform and exhibited typical mesoporous characterization. The mean particle size and Zeta potential of Cur-MSN were 75.8 nm and -30.1 mV, respectively. EE and LE of three batches of Cur-MSN were (72.55 ± 2.01)% and (16.21 ± 1.12)%, respectively. In vitro release behavior of Cur-MSN showed a sustained release profile with 83.5% cumulative release within 96 h. The killing effect of Cur-MSN on HeLa cells was dose-dependent with IC50 of 19.40 mg x L(-1), which was similar to that of Cur. PMID:27071254

Red phosphorus (P) have been considered as one of the most promising anode material for both lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) and (NIBs), because of its high theoretical capacity. However, natural insulating property and the large volume expansion of red P during cycling lead to poor cyclability and low rate performance, which prevents its practical application. Here, we significantly improves both lithium storage and sodium storage performance of red P by confining nanosized amorphous red P into the mesoporouscarbon matrix (P@CMK-3) using a vaporization-condensation-conversion process. The P@CMK-3 shows a high reversible specific capacity of ∼ 2250 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of red P at 0.25 C (∼ 971 mA h g(-1) based on the composite), excellent rate performance of 1598 and 624 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of red P at 6.1 and 12 C, respectively (562 and 228 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of the composite at 6.1 and 12 C, respectively) and significantly enhanced cycle life of 1150 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of red P at 5 C (500 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of the composite) after 1000 cycles for LIBs. For Na ions, it also displays a reversible capacity of 1020 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of red P (370 mA h g(-1) based on the mass of the composite) after 210 cycles at 5C. The significantly improved electrochemical performance could be attributed to the unique structure that combines a variety of advantages: easy access of electrolyte to the open channel structure, short transport path of ions through carbon toward the red P, and high ionic and electronic conductivity. PMID:26866666

Herein, we design hybrid nanostructured microporous carbon-mesoporouscarbon doped titanium dioxide/sulfur composite (MC-Meso C-doped TiO2/S) as a positive electrode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. The hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 host material is produced by a low-cost, hydrothermal and annealing process. The resulting conductive material shows dual microporous and mesoporous behavior which enhances the effective trapping of sulfur and polysulfides. The hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2/S composite material possesses rutile TiO2 nanotube structure with successful carbon doping while sulfur is uniformly distributed in the hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 composite materials after the melt-infusion process. The electrochemical measurement of the hybrid material also shows improved cycle stability and rate performance with high sulfur loading (61.04%). The material delivers an initial discharge capacity of 802 mAh g-1 and maintains it at 578 mAh g-1 with a columbic efficiency greater than 97.1% after 140 cycles at 0.1 C. This improvement is thought to be attributed to the unique hybrid nanostructure of the MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 host and the good dispersion of sulfur in the narrow pores of the MC spheres and the mesoporous C-doped TiO2 support.

Herein, we design hybrid nanostructured microporous carbon-mesoporouscarbon doped titanium dioxide/sulfur composite (MC-Meso C-doped TiO2/S) as a positive electrode material for lithium-sulfur batteries. The hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 host material is produced by a low-cost, hydrothermal and annealing process. The resulting conductive material shows dual microporous and mesoporous behavior which enhances the effective trapping of sulfur and polysulfides. The hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2/S composite material possesses rutile TiO2 nanotube structure with successful carbon doping while sulfur is uniformly distributed in the hybrid MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 composite materials after the melt-infusion process. The electrochemical measurement of the hybrid material also shows improved cycle stability and rate performance with high sulfur loading (61.04%). The material delivers an initial discharge capacity of 802 mAh g-1 and maintains it at 578 mAh g-1 with a columbic efficiency greater than 97.1% after 140 cycles at 0.1 C. This improvement is thought to be attributed to the unique hybrid nanostructure of the MC-Meso C-doped TiO2 host and the good dispersion of sulfur in the narrow pores of the MC spheres and the mesoporous C-doped TiO2 support.

A simple route has been developed to synthesize magnetic Ni-containing ordered mesoporouscarbons (Ni/OMCs) without using a solvent for dissolving carbon precursor or magnetic source. The adsorption and desorption of methylene orange (MO) on the obtained Ni/OMCs were investigated. The effects of Ni(NO(3))(2) loading amount and carbonization temperature on the morphologies, the structural parameters and magnetic properties of these Ni/OMCs were evaluated by X-ray diffraction(XRD), N(2) sorption analysis, transmission electron microscopy(TEM) and physical property measurements. With the increase of Ni(NO(3))(2) loading amount, the ordering of the mesoporous structures, the specific surface area and the total pore volumes of Ni/OMCs decreased, but the pore diameters of Ni/OMCs and the sizes of Ni particle increased. The saturation magnetization strength could be easily adjusted by varying the amount of Ni(NO(3))(2). The specific surface area and total pore volumes decreased with the increasing of carbonization temperature. The size of Ni particle was the biggest at 750°C. The adsorption of MO into Ni/OMCs followed the Sips adsorption model. More interestingly, a simple equation was obtained and was proved to well fit the desorption behavior of MO on Ni/OMCs. The values for the relative fitted parameters were obtained and the physical meanings of the parameters were well defined. PMID:22366315

Mesoporous phenol formaldehyde (PF) polymer resin and carbon films are prepared by a solution self-assembly of PF oligomers with amphiphilic triblock copolymers. After thermopolymerization of the PF to cross-link the network, the films show an ordered morphology as determined by X-ray diffraction and grazing incidence small-angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS). Our results show that the amphiphilic triblock copolymer template greatly influences the stability of the final porous mesostructures. The pyrolysis of the two-dimensional (2-D) hexagonal films with p6mm symmetry templated by Pluronic F127 yields a disordered porous structure following the template removal. Conversely, films templated by Pluronic P123 can exhibit well-ordered cylindrical pores after the template removal, but the solution composition range to yield ordered cylindrical mesopores is significantly reduced (nearly 70%) for thin films in comparison to bulk powders. We propose two dominant difficulties in fabricating well-ordered cylindrical mesopores in films: first, the stress from contraction during the pyrolysis can lead to a collapse of the mesostructure if the wall thickness is insufficient, and second, the surface wetting behavior in thin films leads to a small compositional range.

We report on sulfur-functionalized ordered mesoporouscarbons aimed for lithium-sulfur battery electrode applications with improved charge capacity retention. The carbons were obtained by a hard-template strategy using a mixture of furfuryl alcohol and furfuryl mercaptan. For the application as electrode material in lithium-sulfur batteries, the carbons were additionally loaded with sulfur following a traditional melt-diffusion approach. It was found that the sulfur interacts stronger with the sulfur-functionalized carbon matrix than with the non-functionalized material. Electrodes showed very high capacity in the second discharge-charge cycle amounting to approximately 1500, 1200 and 1400 mAh/g (sulfur) for carbon materials with no, medium and high degrees of sulfur functionalization, respectively. More importantly, the sulfur-functionalization of the carbon was found to increase the capacity retention after 50 discharge-charge cycles by 8 and 5% for the carbons with medium and high degrees of sulfur-functionalization, respectively, compared to carbon with no sulfur-functionalization. We attribute this significant improvement to the presence of covalently bound sulfur groups at the internal surface of the functionalized carbon providing efficient anchoring sites for catenation to the sulfur loaded into the pores of the carbons and provide experimental support for this in the form of results from cyclic voltammetry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy.

Nanocomposites composed of MnO{sub 2} and graphitic disordered mesoporouscarbon (MnO{sub 2}/C) were synthesized for high total specific capacitance and redox pseudocapacitance (C{sub MnO{sub 2}}) at high scan rates up to 200 mV s{sup -1}. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) demonstrated that MnO{sub 2} nanodomains were highly dispersed throughout the mesoporouscarbon structure. According to HRTEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the MnO{sub 2} domains are shown to be primarily amorphous and less than 5 nm in size. For these composites in aqueous 1 M Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte, C{sub MnO{sub 2}} reached 500 F/g{sub MnO{sub 2}} at 2 mV s{sup -1} for 8.8 wt% MnO{sub 2}. A capacitance fade of only 20% over a 100-fold change in scan rate was observed for a high loading of 35 wt% MnO{sub 2} with a C{sub MnO{sub 2}} of 310 F/g{sub MnO{sub 2}} at the highest scan rate of 200 mV s{sup -1}. The high electronic conductivity of the graphitic 3D disordered mesoporouscarbon support in conjunction with the thin MnO{sub 2} nanodomains facilitate rapid electron and ion transport offering the potential of improved high power density energy storage pseudocapacitors.

Nanocomposites composed of MnO{sub 2} and graphitic disordered mesoporouscarbon (MnO{sub 2}/C) were synthesized for high total specific capacitance and redox pseudocapacitance (C{sub MnO{sub 2}}) at high scan rates up to 200 mV s{sup -1}. High resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) demonstrated that MnO{sub 2} nanodomains were highly dispersed throughout the mesoporouscarbon structure. According to HRTEM and X-ray diffraction (XRD), the MnO{sub 2} domains are shown to be primarily amorphous and less than 5 nm in size. For these composites in aqueous 1 M Na{sub 2}SO{sub 4} electrolyte, C{sub MnO{sub 2}} reached 500 F/g{sub MnO{sub 2}} at 2 mV s{sup -1} for 8.8 wt% MnO{sub 2}. A capacitance fade of only 20% over a 100-fold change in scan rate was observed for a high loading of 35 wt% MnO{sub 2} with a C{sub MnO{sub 2}} of 310 F/g{sub MnO{sub 2}} at the highest scan rate of 200 mV s{sup -1}. The high electronic conductivity of the graphitic 3D disordered mesoporouscarbon support in conjunction with the thin MnO{sub 2} nanodomains facilitate rapid electron and ion transport offering the potential of improved high power density energy storage pseudocapacitors.

Designing bioresponsive nanocarriers for controlled and efficient intracellular drug release for cancer therapy is a major thrust area in nanomedicine. With recent recognition by the US FDA as a safe material for human trials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are being extensively explored as promising theranostic agents. Green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs), though known as possible alternatives for their more toxic and relatively less efficient predecessors, are less known as gate keepers for drug release control. We report for the first time an efficient bioresponse of CQDs when judiciously designed using glutathione cleavable (redox responsive) disulphide bonds. When the anticancer drug doxorubicin loaded MSNPs are capped with these CQDs, they display promising drug release control on exposure to a mimicked intracellular cancer environment. Their dual functionality is well established with good control on preventing the premature release and exceptional bio-imaging of HeLa cancer cells. Fluorescence images prove selective targeting of HeLa cells by overexpression of folate receptors from the surface functionalised folic acid ligand. Extensive characterisation using XRD, TEM, BET analysis, drug loading tests, drug release kinetics, MTT assay and fluoroscence cell imaging helps in understanding the multifunctionalities of the successful design, extending its scope with exciting prospects towards non-invasive targeted drug delivery and bio-imaging for effective cancer diagnosis and treatment.Designing bioresponsive nanocarriers for controlled and efficient intracellular drug release for cancer therapy is a major thrust area in nanomedicine. With recent recognition by the US FDA as a safe material for human trials, mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs) are being extensively explored as promising theranostic agents. Green fluorescent carbon quantum dots (CQDs), though known as possible alternatives for their more toxic and relatively less efficient

Graphical abstract: We investigate the influence of mesoporous titania content upon the visible-light driven photocatalytic performance of MPT/MWCNTs in phenol degradation. - Highlights: • MPT/MWCNTs were fabricated by liquid-crystal template in supercritical CO{sub 2}. • MPT/MWCNTs show high visible-light driven photoactivity for phenol degradation. • MPT/MWCNTs also show high reusable photoactivity under visible irradiation. • MPT content can control visible-light driven photoactivity of MPT/MWCNTs. • MPT is not easily broken away from from MPT/MWCNT composites. - Abstract: Mesoporous titania (MPT) was deposited onto multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) by deposition of titanium sol containing liquid-crystal template with assistant of supercritical CO{sub 2}. The products were characterized with various analytical techniques to determine their structural, morphological, optical absorption and photocatalytic properties. The results indicate that in photocatalytic degradation of phenol under visible light, the mixtures or composites of MPT and MWCNT show the high efficiency because of synergies between absorbing visible light, releasing electrons and facilitating transfer of charge carriers of MWCNTs and providing activated centers of MPT. Because of the mutual constraint between MPT and MWCNTs on the photocatalytic efficiency, the optimal loading of MPT in MPT/MWCNT-3 for phenol degradation is 48%. Because the intimate contact between MWCNTs and MPT is more beneficial to electron transformation, photoactivity of mixture is lower than that of composites with high reusable performance. The optimum conditions of phenol degradation were obtained.

The aim of this study was to load amorphous hydrophobic drug into ordered mesoporous silica (SBA-15) by supercritical carbon dioxide technology in order to improve the dissolution and bioavailability of the drug. Asarone was selected as a model drug due to its lipophilic character and poor bioavailability. In vitro dissolution and in vivo bioavailability of the obtained Asarone-SBA-15 were significantly improved as compared to the micronized crystalline drug. This study offers an effective, safe, and environmentally benign means of solving the problems relating to the solubility and bioavailability of hydrophobic molecules. PMID:25720818

Mesoporouscarbon composites, containing nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles, were obtained by soft-templating method. Samples were synthesized under acidic conditions using resorcinol and formaldehyde as carbon precursors, poly(ethylene oxide)-poly(propylene oxide)-poly(ethylene oxide) triblock co-polymer Lutrol F127 as a soft template and nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles, and nickel nitrate as metal precursors. In addition, a one set of samples was obtained by impregnation of mesoporouscarbons with a nickel nitrate solution followed by further annealing at 400 °C. Wide angle X-ray powder diffraction along with thermogravimetric analysis proved the presence of nickel nanoparticles in the final composites obtained using nickel and nickel oxide nanoparticles, and Ni(NO3)2 solution. Whereas, the impregnation of carbons with a nickel nitrate solution followed by annealing at 400 °C resulted in needle-like nickel oxide nanoparticles present inside the composites’ pores. Low-temperature (-196 °C) nitrogen physisorption, X-ray powder diffraction, and thermogravimetric analysis confirmed good adsorption and structural properties of the synthesized nickel-carbon composites, in particular, the samples possessed high surface areas (>600 m2/g), large total pore volumes (>0.50 cm3/g), and maxima of pore size distribution functions at circa 7 nm. It was found that the composites were partially graphitized during carbonization process at 850 °C. The samples are stable in an air environment below temperature of 500 °C. All these features make the synthesized nickel-carbon composites attractive materials for adsorption, catalysis, energy storage, and environmental applications.

Novel zidovudine derivatives, able to be covalently conjugated to silica surface, have been obtained and grafted to SBA-15 mesoporous silica. Cytotoxic activity of the hybrid organic-inorganic (zidovudine derivatives-silica) systems against HeLa and KB cell lines has been analyzed. Addition of folic acid had a positive influence on the cytotoxicity. Up to 69% of HeLa and 65% of KB tumor cells growth inhibition has been achieved at low silica concentration used (10 μg/mL). PMID:25942021

Novel zidovudine derivatives, able to be covalently conjugated to silica surface, have been obtained and grafted to SBA-15 mesoporous silica. Cytotoxic activity of the hybrid organic-inorganic (zidovudine derivatives-silica) systems against HeLa and KB cell lines has been analyzed. Addition of folic acid had a positive influence on the cytotoxicity. Up to 69% of HeLa and 65% of KB tumor cells growth inhibition has been achieved at low silica concentration used (10 μg/mL). PMID:25942021

Ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) are ideal host materials that can provide the desirable electrical conductivity and ion accessibility for high-capacity oxide electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To this end, however, it is imperative to establish the correlations among material morphology, pore structure and electrochemical performance. Here, we fabricate an ordered mesoporouscarbon nanowire (OMCNW)/Fe2O3 composite utilizing a novel soft-hard dual-template approach. The structure and electrochemical performance of OMCNW/Fe2O3 were systematically compared with single-templated OMC/Fe2O3 and carbon nanowire/Fe2O3 composites. This dual-template strategy presents synergetic effects combining the advantages of both soft and hard single-template methods. The resulting OMCNW/Fe2O3 composite enables a high pore volume, high structural stability, enhanced electrical conductivity and Li(+) accessibility. These features collectively enable excellent electrochemical cyclability (1200 cycles) and a reversible Li(+) storage capacity as high as 819 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 0.5 A g(-1). Our findings highlight the synergistic benefits of the dual-template approach to heterogeneous composites for high performance electrochemical energy storage materials. PMID:27304986

Four nanoporous carbons prepared by direct carbonization of non-permanent highly porous MOF [Zn3(BTC)2·(H2O)3]n without any additional carbon precursors. The carbonization temperature plays an important role in the pore structures of the resultant carbons. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) surface areas of four carbon materials vary from 464 to 1671 m2 g−1 for different carbonization temperature. All the four carbon materials showed a mesoporous structure centered at ca. 3 nm, high surface area and good physicochemical stability. Hydrogen, methane and carbon dioxide sorption measurements indicated that the C1000 has good gas uptake capabilities. The excess H2 uptake at 77 K and 17.9 bar can reach 32.9 mg g−1 and the total uptake is high to 45 mg g−1. Meanwhile, at 95 bar, the total CH4 uptake can reach as high as 208 mg g−1. Moreover the ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) prediction exhibited exceptionally high adsorption selectivity for CO2/CH4 in an equimolar mixture at 298 K and 1 bar (Sads = 27) which is significantly higher than that of some porous materials in the similar condition. PMID:25026895

To resolve the pore-associated bottleneck problem observed in the electrode materials used for ultracapacitors, which inhibits the transport of the electrolyte ions, we designed hierarchically structured activatedcarbon (HAC) by synthesizing a mesoporous silica template/carbon composite and chemically activating it to simultaneously remove the silica template and increase the pore volume. The resulting HAC had a well-designed, unique porous structure, which allowed for large interfaces for efficient electric double-layer formation. Given the unique characteristics of the HAC, we believe that the developed synthesis strategy provides important insights into the design and fabrication of hierarchical carbon nanostructures. The HAC, which had a specific surface area of 1,957 m2 g-1, exhibited an extremely high specific capacitance of 157 F g-1 (95 F cc-1), as well as a high rate capability. This indicated that it had superior energy storage capability and was thus suitable for use in advanced ultracapacitors.

To resolve the pore-associated bottleneck problem observed in the electrode materials used for ultracapacitors, which inhibits the transport of the electrolyte ions, we designed hierarchically structured activatedcarbon (HAC) by synthesizing a mesoporous silica template/carbon composite and chemically activating it to simultaneously remove the silica template and increase the pore volume. The resulting HAC had a well-designed, unique porous structure, which allowed for large interfaces for efficient electric double-layer formation. Given the unique characteristics of the HAC, we believe that the developed synthesis strategy provides important insights into the design and fabrication of hierarchical carbon nanostructures. The HAC, which had a specific surface area of 1,957 m2 g−1, exhibited an extremely high specific capacitance of 157 F g−1 (95 F cc−1), as well as a high rate capability. This indicated that it had superior energy storage capability and was thus suitable for use in advanced ultracapacitors. PMID:26878820

Photocatalytic reduction of CO2 into renewable hydrocarbon fuels using semiconductor photocatalysts is considered as a potential solution to the energy deficiency and greenhouse effect. In this work, mesoporous TiO2 nanofibers with high specific surface areas and abundant surface hydroxyl groups are prepared using an electrospinning strategy combined with a subsequent calcination process, followed by a solvothermal treatment. The solvothermally treated mesoporous TiO2 nanofibers exhibit excellent photocatalytic performance on CO2 reduction into hydrocarbon fuels. The significantly improved photocatalytic activity can be attributed to the enhanced CO2 adsorption capacity and the improved charge separation after solvothermal treatment. The highest activity is achieved for the sample with a 2-h solvothermal treatment, showing 6- and 25-fold higher CH4 production rate than those of TiO2 nanofibers without solvothermal treatment and P25, respectively. This work may also provide a prototype for studying the effect of solvothermal treatment on the structure and photocatalytic activity of semiconductor photocatalysts. PMID:24809306

In this work, we describe a facile approach to improve the robustness of conductive mesoporouscarbon-based thin films by the addition of silica to the matrix through the triconstituent organic-inorganic-organic co-assembly of resol (carbon precursor) and tetraethylorthosilicate (silica precursor) with triblock-copolymer Pluronic F127. The pyrolysis of the resol-silica-pluronic F127 film yields a porous composite thin film with well-defined mesostructure. X-Ray diffraction (XRD), grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering (GISAXS), and electron microscopy measurements indicate that the obtained carbon-based thin films have a highly ordered orthorhombic mesostructure (Fmmm) with uniform large pore size (~3 nm). The orthorhombic mesostructure is oriented and the (010) plane is parallel to the silicon wafer substrate. The addition of silica to the matrix impacts the pore size, surface area, porosity, modulus and conductivity. For composite films with approximately 40 wt% silica, the conductivity is decreased by approximately an order of magnitude in comparison to a pure carbonmesoporous film, but the conductivity is comparable to typical printed carbon inks used in electrochemical sensing, {approx}10 S cm-1. The mechanical properties of these mesoporous silica-carbon hybrid films are similar to the pure carbon analogs with a Young's modulus between 10 GPa and 15 GPa, but the material is significantly more porous. Moreover, the addition of silica to the matrix appears to improve the adhesion of the mesoporous film to a silicon wafer. These mesoporous silica-carbon composite films have appropriate characteristics for use in sensing applications.

The main aim of the present work is to precisely understand the sole effect of nitrogen doping on the electrochemical performance of porous carbon materials. To achieve this objective, the whole surface of mesoporous silica (SBA-15) was coated with a thin layer of carbon (about 0.4 nm) with and without N-doping by using acetonitrile and acetylene chemical vapor deposition, respectively. The resulting N-doped and nondoped carbon-coated silica samples have mesopore structures identical to those in the original SBA-15, and they are practically the same in terms of not only the pore size and pore structure but also the particle size distribution and particle morphology, with the exception of N-doping, which makes them unique model materials to extract the sole effect of nitrogen on the performances of electrochemical capacitors and electrocatalytic oxygen reduction. Moreover, the outstanding features of the carbon-coated silica samples allow even a quantitative understanding of the pseudocapacitance induced by nitrogen functionalities on the carbon surface in an acidic aqueous electrolyte. PMID:26859703

Ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) are ideal host materials that can provide the desirable electrical conductivity and ion accessibility for high-capacity oxide electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To this end, however, it is imperative to establish the correlations among material morphology, pore structure and electrochemical performance. Here, we fabricate an ordered mesoporouscarbon nanowire (OMCNW)/Fe2O3 composite utilizing a novel soft-hard dual-template approach. The structure and electrochemical performance of OMCNW/Fe2O3 were systematically compared with single-templated OMC/Fe2O3 and carbon nanowire/Fe2O3 composites. This dual-template strategy presents synergetic effects combining the advantages of both soft and hard single-template methods. The resulting OMCNW/Fe2O3 composite enables a high pore volume, high structural stability, enhanced electrical conductivity and Li+ accessibility. These features collectively enable excellent electrochemical cyclability (1200 cycles) and a reversible Li+ storage capacity as high as 819 mA h g-1 at a current density of 0.5 A g-1. Our findings highlight the synergistic benefits of the dual-template approach to heterogeneous composites for high performance electrochemical energy storage materials.Ordered mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) are ideal host materials that can provide the desirable electrical conductivity and ion accessibility for high-capacity oxide electrode materials in lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). To this end, however, it is imperative to establish the correlations among material morphology, pore structure and electrochemical performance. Here, we fabricate an ordered mesoporouscarbon nanowire (OMCNW)/Fe2O3 composite utilizing a novel soft-hard dual-template approach. The structure and electrochemical performance of OMCNW/Fe2O3 were systematically compared with single-templated OMC/Fe2O3 and carbon nanowire/Fe2O3 composites. This dual-template strategy presents synergetic effects combining the

Mesoporous sulfur (S)-doped Ta2O5 nanocomposites have been synthesized for the first time through the sol-gel reaction of tantalum chloride and thiourea in the presence of a F127 triblock copolymer as structure directing agent. The as-formed mesophase S-doped Ta2O5 hybrid gels were calcined at 700°C for 4h to obtain mesoporous S-Ta2O5 nanocomposites. The experimental results indicated that the surface area of the S-doped Ta2O5 was up to 50m(2)g(-1) and the pore diameter was controllable in the range of 3-7.7nm. The S-doped Ta2O5 nanocomposites behave as superior visible light-sensitive photocatalysts and the 1.5at.% S-doped Ta2O5 (S1.5) photocatalyst exhibited excellent photocatalytic activity of ∼92% for the photodegradation of methylene blue, identical to 80% TOC removal after three hours illumination under visible light. The photodegradation rate of S1.5 photocatalyst showed 3.4 times higher than the undoped Ta2O5 due to their narrow bandgap, large surface area, mesostructure and well crystalline state. The S1.5 photocatalyst could be recycled at least five times without an apparent decrease in its photocatalytic efficiency, indicating its high stability for practical applications. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report that demonstrates one-step synthesis of mesoporous S-doped Ta2O5 nanocomposites as an efficient photocatalysts under visible light illumination. PMID:27017474

Supported nanocrystalline titanium dioxide (TiO2) has been prepared by a post-synthesis step via Ti-alkoxide hydrolysis through the use of mesoporous SBA-15 silica. TiO2/SBA-15 composites with various TiO2 loading have been prepared and characterized by X-ray diffraction, nitrogen adsorption, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and diffusive reflective UV-vis spectroscopy. The addition of mesoporous SBA-15 prevents the anatase to rutile phase transformation and the growth of crystal grain. TiO2 did not block the SBA-15 pores, and their surface was fully accessible for nitrogen adsorption. Calcination in air of the composites up to 800 degrees C did not change the nanocrystal phase and slightly increased the domain size from 5.0 to 7.5 nm, indicating that the anatase TiO2 grains in the mesostructures have a relatively high thermal stability and proper pore diameter allows controlling the size of obtained titania particles. The TiO2/SBA-15 composites prepared by this study showed much higher photodegradation ability for methylene blue (MB) than commercial pure TiO2 nanoparticles P-25. Experimental results indicate that the photocatalytic activity of titania/silica mixed materials depends on the adsorption ability of composite and the photocatalytic activity of the titania, and there is an optimal ratio of Ti:Si, too high or low Ti:Si ratio will lower the photodegradation ability of the composites. PMID:16621269

Magnetic Fe/Ni nanoparticles doped bimodal mesoporouscarbon (MBMC) was prepared for highly effective adsorption of cationic dye methylene blue (MB) and anionic dye methyl orange (MO). Structure characterization demonstrated that Fe/Ni nanoparticles were embedded into the interior of the mesoprous carbon, and MBMC maintained ordered and bimodal mesopores. The effects of several parameters such as contact time, pH, temperature, ionic strength and dye molecular structure on the adsorption were investigated. Alkaline pH was better for MB adsorption, while acidic pH was more favorable for MO uptake. The adsorption capacity was slightly enhanced when existing ion concentrations increased. Adsorption on MBMC was affected by the molecular structures of different dyes, and both primary and secondary pores of MBMC were involved in dye adsorption. The adsorption kinetics fitted well with pseudo-second-order model and exhibited 3-stage intraparticle diffusion mode. Equilibrium data were best described by Langmuir model, and the estimated maximum adsorption capacity for MB and MO was 959.5mg/g and 849.3mg/g, respectively. Thermodynamic studies indicated that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. Moreover, the adsorbent could be regenerated using ethanol, and the regenerated adsorbent after seven cycles could retain over 80% of the adsorption capacity for the fresh adsorbent. The results suggested that MBMC could be considered as very effective and promising materials for both anionic and cationic dyes removal from wastewater. PMID:25765736

Rational design and controllable synthesis of TiO2 based materials with unique microstructure, high reactivity, and excellent electrochemical performance for lithium ion batteries are crucially desired. In this paper, we developed a versatile route to synthesize hollow TiO2/graphitic carbon (H-TiO2/GC) spheres with superior electrochemical performance. The as-prepared mesoporous H-TiO2/GC hollow spheres present a high specific surface area (298 m(2) g(-1)), a high pore volume (0.31 cm(3) g(-1)), a large pore size (∼5 nm), well-defined hollow structure (monodispersed size of 600 nm and inner diameter of ∼400 nm, shell thickness of 100 nm), and small nanocrystals of anatase TiO2 (∼8 nm) conformably encapsulated in ultrathin graphitic carbon layers. As a result, the H-TiO2/GC hollow spheres achieve excellent electrochemical reactivity and stability as an anode material for lithium ion batteries. A high specific capacity of 137 mAh g(-1) can be achieved up to 1000 cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1) (5 C). We believe that the mesoporous H-TiO2/GC hollow spheres are expected to be applied as a high-performance electrode material for next generation lithium ion batteries. PMID:26414170

A functionalized nitrogen-containing ordered mesoporouscarbon (N-OMC), which shows good electrical properties, was synthesized by the carbonization of polyaniline inside a SBA-15 mesoporous silica template. Based on this, through entrapping laccase onto the N-OMC/polyvinyl alcohol (PVA) film a facilely fabricated amperometric biosensor was developed. Laccase from Trametes versicolor was assembled on a composite film of a N-OMC/PVA modified Au electrode and the electrochemical behavior was investigated. The results indicated that the N-OMC modified electrode exhibits electrical properties towards catechol. The optimum experimental conditions of a biosensor for the detection of catechol were studied in detail. Under the optimal conditions, the sensitivity of the biosensor was 0.29 A*M-1 with a detection limit of 0.31 μM and a linear detection range from 0.39 μM to 8.98 μM for catechol. The calibration curve followed the Michaelis-Menten kinetics and the apparent Michaelis-Menten \\left( K_{M}^{app} \\right) was 6.28 μM. This work demonstrated that the N-OMC/PVA composite provides a suitable support for laccase immobilization and the construction of a biosensor.

Multifunctional fibrous systems based on poly(lactic) acid (PLA), mesoporous silica (SiO2) and ascorbic acid (AA) were produced by means of electrospinning technique, for potential applications in the active food packaging sector, as platform for the controlled release of antioxidant and/or antimicrobial agents with the additional filtering function. The ascorbic acid was physisorbed on the surface of mesoporous silica in order to stabilize it and to extend its antioxidant action. The influence of mesoporous silica and ascorbic acid on the microstructural and mechanical properties was investigated, revealing a revelant mechanical reinforcement in the case of fibers loaded only with SiO2 and a decrement in the case of SiO2 with physisorbed ascorbic acid, due to the worse interface between the fillers and the polymeric matrix.

Hollow titania microspheres (HTS) were fabricated via a sol-gel process by coating the hydrolysis product of titanium tetrabutoxide (TBOT) onto the amino (-NH2) modified porous polystyrene cross-linked divinyl benzene (PS-DVB) microspheres under changing atmospheric pressure, followed by calcination in nitrogen and air atmosphere. Particularly, the atmospheric pressure was continuously and regularly changed during the formation process of PS-DVB@TiO2 microspheres. Then the TiO2 particles were absorbed into the pores and onto the surface of PS-DVB as well. The resultant HTS (around 2 μm in diameter) featured a high specific surface area (84.37 m2/g), anatase crystal and stable hollow microsphere structure, which led to high photocatalysis activity. The photocatalytic degradation of malachite green (MG) organic dye solution was conducted under ultraviolet (UV) light irradiation, which showed a high photocatalytic ability (81% of MG was degraded after UV irradiation for 88 min). Therefore, it could be potentially applied for the treatment of wastewater contaminated by organic pollutants.

Glycosylation, which has been confirmed to be associated with many diseases, is an important protein post-translation modification. Taking into account the low abundant of glycan, the purification of complex biological samples is considered to be very significant before mass spectrometry detection. In this work, carbon-functionalized magnetic graphene /mesoporous silica materials (C-Mag G@mSiO2 materials) with high content of carbon were designed and synthesized by using polydopamine as carbon precursor. Taking advantage of the special interaction between carbon and glycan, C-Mag G@mSiO2 materials were successfully applied to enrich N-linked glycans in different complex samples, such as standard glycoprotein digestion, the mixture of standard glycoprotein digestion, glycoprotein and non-glycoprotein, and human serum. PMID:26653470

Highly porous activatedcarbons (ACs) were prepared from Mongolian raw anthracite (MRA) using sodium hydroxide as an activation agent by varying the mass ratio (powdered MRA/NaOH) as well as the mixing method of chemical agent and powdered MRA. The specific BET surface area and total pore volume of the prepared MRA-based activatedcarbons (MACs) are in the range of 816-2063 m2/g and of 0.55-1.61 cm3/g, respectively. The pore size distribution of MACs show that most of the pores are in the range from large micropores to small mesopores and their distribution can be controlled by the mass ratio and mixing method of the activating agent. As expected from the intrinsic property of the MRA, the highly graphitic surface morphology of prepared carbons was confirmed from Raman spectra and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) studies. Furthermore the FTIR and XPS results reveal that the preparation of MACs with hydrophobic in nature is highly possible by controlling the mixing conditions of activating agent and powdered MRA. Based on all the results, it is suggested that the prepared MACs could be used for many specific applications, requiring high surface area, optimal pore size distribution, proper surface hydrophobicity as well as strong physical strength.

In this work, we presented a three-dimensional (3D) molecularly imprinted electrochemical sensor (MIECS) with novel strategy for ultrasensitive and specific quantification of metolcarb based on prussian blue (PB) mediated amplification combined with signal enhancement of ordered mesoporouscarbon. The molecularly imprinted polymers were synthesized by electrochemically induced redox polymerization of para aminobenzoic acid (p-ABA) in the presence of template metolcarb. Ordered mesoporouscarbon material (CMK-3) was introduced to enhance the electrochemical response by improving the structure of the modified electrodes and facilitating charge transfer processes of PB which was used as an inherent electrochemical active probe. The modification process for the working electrodes of the MIECS was characterized by scanning electron microscope (SEM) and cyclic voltammetry (CV), and several important parameters controlling the performance of the MIECS were investigated and optimized in detail. The MIECS with 3D structure had the advantages of ease of preparation, high porous surface structure, speedy response, ultrasensitivity, selectivity, reliable stability, good reproducibility and repeatability. Under the optimal conditions, the MIECS offered an excellent current response for metolcarb in the linear response range of 5.0 × 10(-10)-1.0 × 10(-4) mol L(-1) and the limit of detection (LOD) was calculated to be 9.3 × 10 (-11)mol L(-1) (S/N = 3). The proposed MIECS has been successfully applied for the determination of metolcarb in real samples with satisfactory recoveries. Furthermore, the construction route of this ultrasensitive 3D MIECS may provide a guideline for the determination of non-electroactive analytes in environmental control and food safety. PMID:25240126

A series of experiments have been conducted to study the effects of different carbonization temperatures (400, 600, and 800oC) on characteristics of porosity in activatedcarbon derived from carbonized sugarcane bagassechar at activation temperature of 800oC. The results showed that the activatedcarbon derived from high carbonized temperature of sugarcane bagassechars had higher BET surface area, total volume, micropore volume and yield as compared to the activatedcarbon derived from low carbonized temperature. The BET surface area, total volume and micropore volume of activatedcarbon prepared from sugarcane bagassechars obtained at 800oC of carbonized temperature and activation time of 120 min were 661.46m2/g, 0.2455cm3/g and 0.1989cm3/g, respectively. The high carbonization temperature (800oC) generated a highly microporous carbonwith a Type-I nitrogen adsorption isotherm, while the low carbonization temperature (400 and 600oC) generated a mesoporous one with an intermediate between types I and IInitrogen adsorption isotherm.

Highly porous activatedcarbons were resource-recovered from Leucaena leucocephala (Lam.) de Wit. wood through combined chemical and physical activation (i.e., KOH etching followed by CO2 activation). This invasive species, which has severely damaged the ecological economics of Taiwan, was used as the precursor for producing high-quality carbonaceous electrodes for capacitive deionization (CDI). Carbonization and activation conditions strongly influenced the structure of chars and activatedcarbons. The total surface area and pore volume of activatedcarbons increased with increasing KOH/char ratio and activation time. Overgasification induced a substantial amount of mesopores in the activatedcarbons. In addition, the electrochemical properties and CDI electrosorptive performance of the activatedcarbons were evaluated; cyclic voltammetry and galvanostatic charge/discharge measurements revealed a typical capacitive behavior and electrical double layer formation, confirming ion electrosorption in the porous structure. The activated-carbon electrode, which possessed high surface area and both mesopores and micropores, exhibited improved capacitor characteristics and high electrosorptive performance. Highly porous activatedcarbons derived from waste L. leucocephala were demonstrated to be suitable CDI electrode materials. PMID:26135977

An individual cyanobacterium cell is interfaced with a nanoporous biohybrid layer within a mesoporous silica layer. The bio-interface acts as an egg membrane for cell protection and growth of outer shell. The resulting bilayer shell provides efficient functions to create a single cell photosynthetic bioreactor with high stability, reusability, and activity. PMID:25641812

We demonstrate a sustainable and efficient approach to produce high performance sulfur/carbon composite cathodes via a bottom-up catalytic approach. The selective oxidation of H2S by a nitrogen-enriched mesoporouscarbon catalyst can produce elemental sulfur as a by-product which in-situ deposit onto the carbon framework. Due to the metal-free catalytic characteristic and high catalytic selectivity, the resulting sulfur/carbon composites have almost no impurities that thus can be used as cathode materials with compromising battery performance. The layer-by-layer sulfur deposition allows atomic sulfur binding strongly with carbon framework, providing efficient immobilization of sulfur. The nitrogen atoms doped on the carbon framework can increase the surface interactions with polysulfides, leading to the improvement in the trapping of polysulfides. Thus, the composites exhibit a reversible capacity of 939 mAh g−1 after 100 cycles at 0.2 C and an excellent rate capability of 527 mAh g−1 at 5 C after 70 cycles. PMID:24084754

We demonstrate a sustainable and efficient approach to produce high performance sulfur/carbon composite cathodes via a bottom-up catalytic approach. The selective oxidation of H2S by a nitrogen-enriched mesoporouscarbon catalyst can produce elemental sulfur as a by-product which in-situ deposit onto the carbon framework. Due to the metal-free catalytic characteristic and high catalytic selectivity, the resulting sulfur/carbon composites have almost no impurities that thus can be used as cathode materials with compromising battery performance. The layer-by-layer sulfur deposition allows atomic sulfur binding strongly with carbon framework, providing efficient immobilization of sulfur. The nitrogen atoms doped on the carbon framework can increase the surface interactions with polysulfides, leading to the improvement in the trapping of polysulfides. Thus, the composites exhibit a reversible capacity of 939 mAh g(-1) after 100 cycles at 0.2 C and an excellent rate capability of 527 mAh g(-1) at 5 C after 70 cycles. PMID:24084754

Ultra-small gold nanoparticles incorporated in mesoporous silica thin films with accessible pore channels perpendicular to the substrate are prepared by a modified sol-gel method. The simple and easy spin coating technique is applied here to make homogeneous thin films. The surface characterization using FESEM shows crack-free films with a perpendicular pore arrangement. The applicability of these thin films as catalysts as well as a robust SERS active substrate for model catalysis study is tested. Compared to bare silica film our gold incorporated silica, GSM-23F gave an enhancement factor of 10³ for RhB with a laser source 633 nm. The reduction reaction of p-nitrophenol with sodium borohydride from our thin films shows a decrease in peak intensity corresponding to -NO₂ group as time proceeds, confirming the catalytic activity. Such model surfaces can potentially bridge the material gap between a real catalytic system and surface science studies. PMID:27213321

Nanocrystalline mesoporous titania was synthesized via a combined sol-gel process with surfactant-assisted templating method using cetyltrimethyl ammonium bromide (CTAB) as the structure-directing agent. The process was catalyzed by different acid (hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, sulfuric acid, or phosphoric acid). The prepared samples were characterized by XRD, TEM, BET and FT-IR. The photocatalytic activity of the samples was determined by degradation of phenol in aqueous solution. Results showed that different acid had different effect on the structure and crystal phase of the samples. The sample adjusted by phosphoric acid showed highest surface area and photocatalytic activity. The formation mechanism of the samples catalyzed by different acid was also discussed.

The present study developed electrode materials for supercapacitors by activating coke-based activatedcarbons with CO2. For the activation reaction, after setting the temperature at 1,000 degrees C, four types of activatedcarbons were produced, over an activation time of 0-90 minutes and with an interval of 30 minutes as the unit. The electrochemical performance of the activatedcarbons produced was evaluated to examine the effect of CO2 activation. The surface structure of the porous carbonsactivated through CO2 activation was observed using a scanning electron microscope (SEM). To determine the N2/77 K isothermal adsorption characteristics, the Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) equation and the Barrett-Joyner-Halenda (BJH) equation were used to analyze the pore characteristics. In addition, charge and discharge tests and cyclic voltammetry (CV) were used to analyze the electrochemical characteristics of the changed pore structure. According to the results of the experiments, the N2 adsorption isotherm curves of the porous carbons produced belonged to Type IV in the International Union of Pore and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC) classification and consisted of micropores and mesopores, and, as the activation of CO2 progressed, micropores decreased and mesopores developed. The specific surface area of the porous carbonsactivated by CO2 was 1,090-1,180 m2/g and thus showed little change, but those of mesopores were 0.43-0.85 cm3/g, thus increasing considerably. In addition, when the electrochemical characteristics were analyzed, the specific capacity was confirmed to have increased from 13.9 F/g to 18.3 F/g. From these results, the pore characteristics of coke-based activatedcarbons changed considerably because of CO2 activation, and it was therefore possible to increase the electrochemical characteristics. PMID:26726596

Because of the outstanding high theoretical specific energy density of 2600 Wh kg(-1), the lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery is regarded as a promising candidate for post lithium-ion battery systems eligible to meet the forthcoming market requirements. However, its commercialization on large scale is thwarted by fast capacity fading caused by the Achilles' heel of Li-S systems: the polysulfide shuttle. Here, we merge the physical features of carbon-coated separators and the unique chemical properties of N and S codoped mesoporouscarbon to create a functional hybrid separator with superior polysulfide affinity and electrochemical benefits. DFT calculations revealed that carbon materials with N and S codoping possess a strong binding energy to high-order polysulfide species, which is essential to keep the active material in the cathode side. As a result of the synergistic effect of N, S dual-doping, an advanced Li-S cell with high specific capacity and ultralow capacity degradation of 0.041% per cycle is achieved. Pushing our simple-designed and scalable cathode to a highly increased sulfur loading of 5.4 mg cm(-2), the Li-S cell with the functional hybrid separator can deliver a remarkable areal capacity of 5.9 mAh cm(-2), which is highly favorable for practical applications. PMID:27225061

The performance of various activatedcarbons obtained from different carbon precursors (i.e., plastic waste, coal, and wood) as adsorbents for the desulfurization of liquid hydrocarbon fuels was evaluated. To increase surface heterogeneity, the carbon surface was modified by oxidation with ammonium persulfate. The results showed the importance of activatedcarbon pore sizes and surface chemistry for the adsorption of dibenzothiophene (DBT) from liquid phase. Adsorption of DBT on activatedcarbons is governed by two types of contributions: physical and chemical interactions. The former include dispersive interactions in the microporous network of the carbons. While the volume of micropores governs the amount physisorbed, mesopores control the kinetics of the process. On the other hand, introduction of surface functional groups enhances the performance of the activatedcarbons as a result of specific interactions between the acidic centers of the carbon and the basic structure of DBT molecule as well as sulfur-sulfur interactions.

A novel trinuclear cobalt-oxo cluster 2[Co{sub 3}O(Ac){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}]{center_dot}H{sub 2}O (Co-OXO) has been obtained and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analysis. The structure of Co-OXO displays 3D supramolecular networks through hydrogen bonds and generates boron nitride (bnn) topology. Co-OXO was further used as a precursor to synthesize Co-containing mesoporouscarbon foams (Co-MCFs), which exhibit highly ordered mesostructure with specific surface area of 614 m{sup 2} g{sup -1} and uniform pore size of 2.7 nm. Charge-discharge tests show that the specific discharge capacitance of Co-MCFs is 7% higher than that of the MCFs at the current density of 100 mA g{sup -1}, and 26% higher than that of MCFs at the current density of 3 A g{sup -1}. The electrochemical behaviors of Co-MCFs are obviously improved due to the improved wettability, increased graphitization degree and the pseudo-capacitance through additional faradic reactions arising from cobalt. - Graphical Abstract: A new trinuclear cobalt-oxo cluster, 2[Co{sub 3}O(Ac){sub 6}(H{sub 2}O){sub 3}]{center_dot}H{sub 2}O (1), was obtained and further used as a precursor to synthesize Co-containing mesoporouscarbon foams (Co-MCFs) which exhibit improved electrochemical behaviors. Highlights: Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer A new trinuclear cobalt-oxo cluster (1) were obtained. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1 is joined by hydrogen bonds to construct a 3D structure showing bnn topology. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer 1 was further used to obtain Co-containing mesoporouscarbon foams (Co-MCFs). Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Co-MCFs exhibit highly ordered mesostructure and uniform pore sizes. Black-Right-Pointing-Pointer Electrochemical behaviors of Co-MCFs are obviously improved compared with pure MCFs.

The aim of this work was to better understand the electrochemical processes occurring during the cycling of a lithium-ion half-cell containing ordered mesoporous hard carbon using time-resolved in situ small-angle neutron scattering (SANS). Utilizing electrolytes containing mixtures of deuterated (2H) and non-deuterated (1H) carbonates, we have addressed the challenging task of monitoring the formation and evolution of the solid-electrolyte interphase (SEI) layer. An evolution occurs in the SEI layer during discharge from a composition dominated by a higher scattering length density (SLD) lithium salt, to a lower SLD lithium salt for the ethylene carbonate/dimethyl carbonate (EC/DMC) mixture employed. By comparing half-cells containing different solvent deuteration levels, we show that it is possible to observe both SEI formation and lithium intercalation occurring concurrently at the low voltage region in which lithium intercalates into the hard carbon. These results demonstrate that SANS can be employed to monitor complicated electrochemical processes occurring in rechargeable batteries, in a manner that simultaneously provides information on the composition and microstructure of the electrode.

Bismuth vanadate (BiVO4) is considered as a potentially attractive candidate for the O2 evolution and photodegradation of organic pollutants. In an effort to develop visible-light-driven photocatalysts with high activities, the thoroughly mesoporous BiVO4 nanofibers were fabricated via a foaming-assisted electrospinning strategy. It was found that the introduced foaming agent of diisopropyl azodiformate within the solutions plays a crucial role on the formation of thoroughly mesoporous BiVO4 nanofibers, making their growth tunable. The obtained mesoporous BiVO4 nanofibers possess well-defined one-dimensional mesoporous architectures with high purity in their morphology and a surface area of 22.5 m(2)/g, which is ∼4 times that of conventional solid counterparts (5.8 m(2)/g). Accordingly, they exhibit much higher efficient photocatalytic activities toward the degradation of rhodamine B under visible-light irradiation, which is 3 times that of conventional solid counterparts, suggesting their promising application as novel and efficient photocatalysts for water purification. PMID:26728095

Two carbonaceous materials were synthesized by using the method of impregnation of mesoporous silicas obtained by applying the Pluronic copolymers as pore-creating agents. The isotherms of adsorption of methylene blue and methyl orange from aqueous solutions were measured by the static method. The profiles of adsorbate concentration change in time were obtained from the UV-vis spectra. The adsorption isotherms and kinetic dependence were discussed in the terms of theory of adsorption on heterogeneous surfaces.

Heterostructured CdS-pillared H2Ti3O7 nanohybrids were prepared by the self-assembly of exfoliated trititanate nanosheets and CdS nanosol particles under the electrostatic interactions. It was revealed that the present nanohybrids were mesoporous with specific surface areas of about 90 m2 g-1. The nanohybrids exhibited high photocatalytic activity and good recurrence stability in the H2 evolution from water splitting. When the preparation molar ratio of H2Ti3O7/CdS was 2:1, the nanohybrid reached a high H2-evolution rate of 1523 μmol h-1 g-1 under a 300 W Xe lamp irradiation, which was 13 times higher than the bare CdS. Apart from the wider spectral responsive range, the superior photocatalytic performance of the nanohybrids was predominantly attributed to the efficient photogenerated charge separation between the trititanate nanosheets and the encapsulated CdS nanoparticles.

This paper aims at the sustainable development of activatedcarbons for value-added applications from the waste tyre pyrolysis product, tyre char, in order to make pyrolysis economically favorable. Two activation process parameters, activation temperature (900, 925, 950 and 975 °C) and residence time (2, 4 and 6 h) with steam as the activating agent have been investigated. The textural properties of the produced tyre char activatedcarbons have been characterized by nitrogen adsorption-desorption experiments at -196 °C. The activation process has resulted in the production of mesoporousactivatedcarbons confirmed by the existence of hysteresis loops in the N2 adsorption-desorption curves and the pore size distribution curves obtained from BJH method. The BET surface area, total pore volume and mesopore volume of the activatedcarbons from tyre char have been improved to 732 m(2)/g, 0.91 cm(3)/g and 0.89 cm(3)/g, respectively. It has been observed that the BET surface area, mesopore volume and total pore volume increased linearly with burnoff during activation in the range of experimental parameters studied. Thus, yield-normalized surface area, defined as the surface area of the activatedcarbon per gram of the precursor, has been introduced to optimize the activation conditions. Accordingly, the optimized activation conditions have been demonstrated as an activation temperature of 975 °C and an activation time of 4 h. PMID:26775155

This study reports a new approach for developing a uranium (U(VI)) electrochemical sensor that is mercury-free, solid-state, and has less chance for ligand depletion than existing sensors. A carbon-paste electrode modified with carbamoylphosphonic acid self-assembled monolayer on mesoporous silica was developed for uranium detection based on an adsorptive square-wave stripping voltammetry technique. Voltammetric responses for U(VI) detection are reported as a function of pH, preconcentration time, and aqueous phase U(VI) concentration. The uranium detection limit is 25 ppb after 5 minutes preconcentration and improved to 1 ppb after 20 minutes preconcentration. The relative standard deviations are normally less than 5%.

Mesoporous TiO2 powder materials with a high crystallinity have been prepared by evaporation induced self assembly (EISA) process using titanium tetraisopropoxide (TTIP) and pluronic P123 surfactant (EO20PO70EO20) as titanium source and structure-directing reagent, respectively. The prepared materials were characterized by low and wide-angle X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), optical absorption, and N2 adsorption-desorption experiments. The crystallinity of the materials was controlled by varying the calcination temperature. The resulting TiO2 materials showed highly crystalline structure with uniform particle size which increases from 11.8 to 23.8 nm with increasing the calcination temperature from 400 to 600 degrees C, respectively, whereas the specific surface area decreases from 125 to 40 m2/g. TEM and XRD results revealed that the calcination temperature of 600 degrees C is the best condition to obtain highly crystalline mesoporous TiO2. The photocatalytic activity of the TiO2 mesoporous materials with different crystallinity and textural parameters has been studied in the decomposition of methylene blue (MB) dye molecules under visible light irradiation. Among the mesoporous TiO2 materials studied, the material with the highest crystallinity, prepared at 600 degrees C, showed the best photocatalytic performance in the decomposition of MB under visible light in a short time. PMID:21121305

Homogeneous immobilization of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on mesoporous silica has been achieved by using a one-pot synthesis method in the presence of organosilane mercapto-propyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The resultant Au NPs exhibited an excellent catalytic activity in the solvent-free selective oxidation of cyclohexane using molecular oxygen. By establishing the structure-performance relationship, the origin of the high activity of mesoporous supported Au catalyst was identified to be due to the presence of low-coordinated Au (0) sites with high dispersion. Au NPs were confirmed to play a critical role in the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane by promoting the activation of O2 molecules and accelerating the formation of surface-active oxygen species. PMID:26729288

Homogeneous immobilization of gold nanoparticles (Au NPs) on mesoporous silica has been achieved by using a one-pot synthesis method in the presence of organosilane mercapto-propyl-trimethoxysilane (MPTMS). The resultant Au NPs exhibited an excellent catalytic activity in the solvent-free selective oxidation of cyclohexane using molecular oxygen. By establishing the structure-performance relationship, the origin of the high activity of mesoporous supported Au catalyst was identified to be due to the presence of low-coordinated Au (0) sites with high dispersion. Au NPs were confirmed to play a critical role in the catalytic oxidation of cyclohexane by promoting the activation of O2 molecules and accelerating the formation of surface-active oxygen species. PMID:26729288

A novel adsorbent of mesoporouscarbon stabilized alumina (MC/Al2O3) was synthesized through one-pot hard-templating method. The adsorption potential of MC/Al2O3 for Cd(II) and Pb(II) from aqueous solution was investigated compared with the mesoporouscarbon. The results indicated the MC/Al2O3 showed excellent performance for Cd(II) and Pb(II) removal, the adsorption capacity reached 49.98 mg g-1 for Cd(II) with initial concentration of 50 mg L-1 and reached 235.57 mg g-1 for Pb(II) with initial concentration of 250 mg L-1, respectively. The kinetics data of Cd(II) adsorption demonstrated that the Cd(II) adsorption rate was fast, and the removal efficiencies with initial concentration of 10 and 50 mg L-1 can reach up 99% within 5 and 20 min, respectively. The pseudo-second-order kinetic model could describe the kinetics of Cd(II) adsorption well, indicating the chemical reaction was the rate-controlling step. The mechanism for Cd(II) and Pb(II) adsorption by MC/Al2O3 was investigated by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and Fourier transformed infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), and the results indicated that the excellent performance for Cd(II) and Pb(II) adsorption of MC/Al2O3 was mainly attributed to its high surface area and the special functional groups of hydroxy-aluminum, hydroxyl, carboxylic through the formation of strong surface complexation or ion-exchange. It was concluded that MC/Al2O3 can be recognized as an effective adsorbent for removal of Cd(II) and Pb(II) in aqueous solution.

Nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon microfibers (NMCMFs) were prepared via an evaporation-induced tri-consistent assembly of a triblock copolymer, resols and prehydrolyzed tetraethoxy silane on natural silk followed by pyrolysis. The resultant NMCMFs inherit the advantages of both order mesoporouscarbons (OMCs) and carbon microfibers (CMFs), such as uniform meso-channels, high surface area, high nitrogen content, excellent electronic conductivity as well as good flexibility. Owing to the well-designed nanostructure and the synergistic effects of the strongly coupled components, the binder-free electrodes based on NMCMFs exhibit enhanced capacity (189 F g(-1) at 5 mV s(-1)), excellent rate capability (107 F g(-1) at 100 mV s(-1)) and durability (maintained over 96% of the initial capacitance after 10,000 cycles) in electric double-layer capacitors, outperforming those of OMCs and CMFs derived from pristine silk. PMID:25588922

A flexible one-pot strategy for fabricating a 3D network of nitrogen-doped (N-doped) carbon ultrathin nanosheets with closely packed mesopores (N-MCN) via an in situ template method is reported in this research. The self-assembly soluble salts (NaCl and Na2SiO3) serve as hierarchical templates and support the formation of a 3D glucose-urea complex. The organic complex is heat-treated to obtain a 3D N-doped carbon network constructed by mesoporous nanosheets. Especially, both the mesoporous structure and doping content can be easily tuned by adjusting the ratio of raw materials. The large specific surface area and closely packed mesopores facilitate the lithium ion intercalation/deintercalation accordingly. Besides, the nitrogen content improves the lithium storage ability and capacitive properties. Due to the synergistic effect of hierarchical structure and heteroatom composition, the 3D N-MCN shows excellent characteristics as the electrode of a lithium ion battery and supercapacitor, such as ultrahigh reversible storage capacity (1222 mAh g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1)), stable long cycle performance at high current density (600 cycles at 2 A g(-1)), and high capacitive properties (225 F g(-1) at 1 A g(-1) and 163 F g(-1) at 50 A g(-1)). PMID:27093444

Capacitive deionization (CDI) is an alternative, effective and environmentally friendly technology for desalination of brackish water. The performance of the CDI device is highly determined by the electrode materials. In this paper, a composite of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) embedded in activatedcarbon nanofiber (ACF) was prepared by a direct co-electrospinning way and subsequent CO2 activation. The introduction of CNTs can greatly improve the conductivity while the CO2-mediated activation can render the final product with high porosity. As such, the hybrid structure can provide an excellent storage space and pathways for ion adsorption and conduction. When evaluated as electrode materials for CDI, the as-prepared CNT/ACF composites with higher electrical conductivity and mesopore ratios exhibited higher electrosorption capacity and good regeneration performance in comparison with the pure ACF. PMID:25595622

Disposal and recycling of the large scale biomass waste is of great concern. Themochemically converting the waste biomass to functional carbon nanomaterials and bio-oil is an environmentally friendly apporach by reducing greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution caused by open burning. In this work, we reported a scalable, "green" method for the synthesis of the nanofibers/mesoporouscarbon composites through pyrolysis of the Fe(III)-preloaded biomass, which is controllable by adjustment of temperature and additive of catalyst. It is found that the coupled catalytic action of both Fe and Cl species is able to effectively catalyze the growth of the carbon nanofibers on the mesoporouscarbon and form magnetic nanofibers/mesoporouscarbon composites (M-NMCCs). The mechanism for the growth of the nanofibers is proposed as an in situ vapor deposition process, and confirmed by the XRD and SEM results. M-NMCCs can be directly used as electrode materials for electrochemical energy storage without further separation, and exhibit favorable energy storage performance with high EDLC capacitance, good retention capability, and excellent stability and durability (more than 98% capacitance retention after 10,000 cycles). Considering that biomass is a naturally abundant and renewable resource (over billions tons biomass produced every year globally) and pyrolysis is a proven technique, M-NMCCs can be easily produced at large scale and become a sustainable and reliable resource for clean energy storage. PMID:25372400

A series of experiments were conducted to compare the pore development in palm-shell and coconut-shell-based activatedcarbons produced under identical experimental conditions. Carbonization and activation processes were carried out at 850 degrees C using a fluidized bed reactor. Within the range of burn-off studied, at any burn-off, the micropore and mesopore volumes created in palm-shell-based activatedcarbon were always higher than those of coconut-shell-based activatedcarbon. On macropore volume, for palm-shell-based activatedcarbon, the volume increased with increase in burn-off up to 30% and then decreased. However, for coconut-shell-based activatedcarbon, the change in macropore volume with burn-off was almost negligible but the absolute macropore volume decreased with burn-off. PMID:14987722

A facile, scalable and cost-efficient redox reaction is developed to prepare micro-powders of a quasi-crystallised, mesoporous birnessite-type manganese oxide, K2Mn4O9. In 1 M KOH electrolyte, the K2Mn4O9 powder shows a high specific capacitance of 754 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 (calculated with the net weight of K2Mn4O9 micro-powder only). Meanwhile, the electrode retains 91% of its initial capacitance after 5000 cycles at a high current density of 5 A g-1. By simply adding carbon nanotubes (CNTs) into the reaction system, the specific capacitances of as-prepared K2Mn4O9/CNTs composites are further increased to 929 and 1055 F g-1 at 1 A g-1 in 1 and 6 M KOH electrolyte (corresponding to 69 and 77% of the theoretical capacitance of MnO2), or 600 and 674 F g-1 at 5 A g-1, respectively. Significantly, a maximum energy density of 62 Wh kg-1 at a power density of 852 W kg-1 could be achieved based on a K2Mn4O9/CNTs//activatedcarbon asymmetric supercapacitor (ASC). At the same time, the ASC device exhibits a decent long cycle life with 85% specific capacitance retained after 1000 cycles, suggesting its wide application potential in low-cost high energy density storage systems.

Carbons obtained from biomass have attracted a lot of attention for use as electrodes for Li-ion batteries. Less attention has been paid to their use in Lisbnd S batteries in spite of the higher energy densities. Here, we optimized the electrochemical properties of an activatedcarbon (OSAC) obtained from olive stones with the help of mesoporous TiO2. The OSAC@TiO2/S hybrid composite exhibited improved electrochemical performance compared with the OSAC/S composite. The presence of TiO2 increased the delivered capacity of the cell by more than 60%, and the rate capability was notably improved. The cell could operate at current densities of 3350 mA g-1 (2 C), releasing an average capacity of 500 mAh g-1 with a coulombic efficiency close to 100%. This improvement in the electrochemical performance is attributed to the sorbent properties of TiO2 towards Li polysulfides and its facility to insert Li, which enhances the electronic and ionic conductivity of the hybrid composite.

Using cherry stones, the preparation of activatedcarbon has been undertaken in the present study by chemical activation with potassium hydroxide. A series of KOH-activated products was prepared by varying the carbonisation temperature in the 400 900 °C range. Such products were characterised texturally by gas adsorption (N2, -196 °C), mercury porosimetry, and helium and mercury density measurements. FT-IR spectroscopy was also applied. The carbons prepared as a rule are microporous and macroporous solids. The degree of development of surface area and porosity increases with increasing carbonisation temperature. For the carbon heated at 900 °C the specific surface area (BET) is 1624 m2 g-1, the micropore volume is 0.67 cm3 g-1, the mesopore volume is 0.28 cm3 g-1, and the macropore volume is 1.84 cm3 g-1.

Large quantities of lignocellulosic residues result from the industrial production of essential oil from vetiver grass (Vetiveria zizanioides) roots. These residues could be used for the production of activatedcarbon. The yield of char obtained after vetiver roots pyrolysis follows an equation recently developed [A. Ouensanga, L. Largitte, M.A. Arsene, The dependence of char yield on the amounts of components in precursors for pyrolysed tropical fruit stones and seeds, Micropor. Mesopor. Mater. 59 (2003) 85-91]. The N(2) adsorption isotherm follows either the Freundlich law K(F)P(alpha) which is the small alpha equation limit of a Weibull shaped isotherm or the classical BET isotherm. The surface area of the activatedcarbons are determined using the BET method. The K(F) value is proportional to the BET surface area. The alpha value increases slightly when the burn-off increases and also when there is a clear increase in the micropore distribution width. PMID:17092643

Heteroatoms doping provides a promising strategy for improving the energy density of supercapacitors based on the carbon electrodes. In this paper, we present a N and S dual doped ordered mesoporouscarbon with ultrahigh doping level using dimethylglyoxime as pristine precursor. The N doping content of the reported materials varies from 6.6 to 15.6 at.% dependent on the carbonization temperature, and the S doping content varies from 0.46 to 1.01 at.%. Due to the ultrahigh heteroatoms doping content, the reported materials exhibit pronounced pseudo-capacitance. Meanwhile, the reported materials exhibit high surface areas (640-869 m2 g-1), large pore volume (0.71-1.08 cm2 g-1) and ordered pore structure. The outstanding textual properties endow the reported materials excellent electrical double-layer capacitance (EDLC). By effectively combining the pseudo-capacitance with EDLC, the reported materials exhibit a surprising energy storage/relax capacity with the highest specific capacitance of 565 F g-1, which value is 3.3 times higher than that of pristine CMK-3, and can compete against some conventional pseudo-capacitance materials.

This paper reports facile synthesis of nitrogen-doped mesoporouscarbon nanospheres (MCNSs) with average diameters of around 300 nm and well-controlled pore sizes ranging from 8 to 38 nm, by employing polystyrene-b-poly(ethylene oxide) (PS-b-PEO) diblocks with different PS block lengths as the soft templates and dopamine as the carbon-rich precursor. For the first time, a linear equation is achieved for the quantitative control of the average pore size of MCNSs by simply adjusting a block length of diblock copolymer. The resultant MCNSs possess high surface areas of up to 450 m(2) g(-1) and nitrogen doping contents of up to ≈3 wt%. As electrode materials of supercapacitors, the MCNSs exhibit excellent electrochemical performance with high specific capacitances of up to 350 F g(-1) at 0.1 A g(-1) , superior rate capability, and cycling stability. Interestingly, the specific capacitance of the MCNSs reduces linearly with increasing pore size, whereas the normalized capacitance by specific surface area remains invariable. This represents a new spectrum of the relationship between electrochemical capacitance and pore size (>5 nm) for porous carbons, which makes a complement to the existing spectra focusing on pore diameters of <5 nm. PMID:27120340

A mesoporouscarbon was fabricated using MCM-41 as a template and sucrose as a carbon source. The carbon material was coated on stainless-steel wires by using the sol-gel technique. The prepared solid-phase microextraction fiber was used for the extraction of five volatile aromatic compounds (chlorobenzene, ethylbenzene, o-xylene, bromobenzene, and 4-chlorotoluene) from tea beverage samples (red tea and green tea) prior to gas chromatography with mass spectrometric detection. The main experimental parameters affecting the extraction of the volatile aromatic compounds by the fiber, including the extraction time, sample volume, extraction temperature, salt addition, and desorption conditions, were investigated. The linearity was observed in the range from 0.1 to 10.0 μg/L with the correlation coefficients (r) ranging from 0.9923 to 0.9982 and the limits of detection were less than 10.0 ng/L. The recoveries of the volatile aromatic compounds by the method from tea beverage samples at spiking levels of 1.0 and 10.0 μg/L ranged from 73.1 to 99.1%. PMID:26041569

Nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes have received great attention in recent year due to their potential application in immunoassay techniques. However, such potential is usually limited by poor dispersion stability or low catalytic activity induced by the capping agent essentially required in the synthesis. In an attempt to address these challenges, here, we studied the novel Pt nanoparticles (NPs) based peroxidase-like mimic by encapsulating Pt NP in mesoporous silica (Pt@mSiO2 NPs). Compared with other nanomaterial-based artificial enzymes, the obtained Pt@mSiO2 NPs not only exhibit high peroxidase-like activity but also have good dispersion stability in buffer saline solution when grafted with spacer PEG. Results show that when the thickness of silica shell is about 9 nm the resulting Pt@mSiO2 NPs exhibit the catalytic activity similar to that of Pt NPs, which is approximately 26 times higher than that of Fe3O4 NPs (in terms of Kcat for H2O2). Due to the protection of silica shell, the subsequent surface modification with antibody has little effect on their catalytic activity. The analytical performance of this system in detecting hCG shows that after 5 min incubation the limit of detection can reach 10 ng mL(-1) and dynamic linear working range is 5-200 ng mL(-1). Our findings pave the way for design and development of novel artificial enzyme labeling. PMID:25682428

Sandwich-type, two-dimensional hybrid nanosheets were fabricated by the infiltration of nanosized sulfur into graphene-backboned mesoporouscarbon with a PPy nanocoating. They exhibit a high reversible capacity for as long as 400 cycles with an ultra slow decay rate of 0.05% per cycle at the high rate of 1-3 C due to the efficient immobilization of polysulfides.Sandwich-type, two-dimensional hybrid nanosheets were fabricated by the infiltration of nanosized sulfur into graphene-backboned mesoporouscarbon with a PPy nanocoating. They exhibit a high reversible capacity for as long as 400 cycles with an ultra slow decay rate of 0.05% per cycle at the high rate of 1-3 C due to the efficient immobilization of polysulfides. Electronic supplementary information (ESI) available: Experimental details, BET, SEM, XPS and more electrochemical data. See DOI: 10.1039/c5nr01015b

The characteristics of thermally regenerated activatedcarbon (AC) polluted with biological activatedcarbon (BAC) process were investigated. The results showed that the true micropore and sub-micropore volume, pH value, bulk density, and hardness of regenerated AC decreased compared to the virgin AC, but the total pore volume increased. XPS analysis displayed that the ash contents of Al, Si, and Ca in the regenerated AC respectively increased by 3.83%, 2.62% and 1.8%. FTIR spectrum showed that the surface functional groups of virgin and regenerated AC did not change significantly. Pore size distributions indicated that the AC regeneration process resulted in the decrease of micropore and macropore (D>10 μm) volume and the increase of mesopore and macropore (0.1 μm

Highlights: ► Mesoporous TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres were prepared in a one-pot process. ► The process does not involve any templates and surfactants. ► The TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres display high photocatalytic activity. -- Abstract: Mesoporous TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres were prepared in a solvothermal process, which did not involve any templates and surfactants. Meanwhile, the photocatalytic activity of TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres was studied using methyl orange as a probe. The results indicate that the anatase TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres with mesoporous walls and high specific surface area (141 m{sup 2} g{sup −1}) can be obtained using this simple method. The mean diameter and wall thickness of spheres are about 700 nm and 90 nm, respectively. Moreover, the as-prepared TiO{sub 2} hollow spheres display high photocatalytic activity with 98% of degradation ratio of methyl orange after 30 min irradiation.

Sandwich-type, two-dimensional hybrid nanosheets were fabricated by the infiltration of nanosized sulfur into graphene-backboned mesoporouscarbon with a PPy nanocoating. They exhibit a high reversible capacity for as long as 400 cycles with an ultra slow decay rate of 0.05% per cycle at the high rate of 1-3 C due to the efficient immobilization of polysulfides. PMID:25832361

In this study, we investigated the potential of MAPLE-deposited coatings mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNs) to release Zinforo (ceftarolinum fosmil) in biologically active form. The MSNs were prepared by using a classic procedure with cetyltrimethylammonium bromide as sacrificial template and tetraethylorthosilicate as the monomer. The Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses revealed network-forming granules with diameters under 100 nm and an average pore diameter of 2.33 nm. The deposited films were characterized by SEM, TEM, XRD and IR. Microbiological analyses performed on ceftaroline-loaded films demonstrated that the antibiotic was released in an active form, decreasing the microbial adherence rate and colonization of the surface. Moreover, the in vitro and in vivo assays proved the excellent biodistribution and biocompatibility of the prepared systems. Our results suggest that the obtained bioactive coatings possess a significant potential for the design of drug delivery systems and antibacterial medical-use surfaces, with great applications in bone implantology.

Hydrophobic photosensitizer zinc(II) phthalocyanine (ZnPc) was loaded into adamantane (Ad) modified nanochannels of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNPs). The Ad units on the surface of MSNPs were complexed with amino-substituted β-cyclodextrin to enhance the solubility of the hybrid in aqueous solution. The amino groups on β-cyclodextrin also provide functional sites for further conjugation with targeting ligands toward targeted cancer therapy. Since the intercalation of the Ad spacer isolates loaded ZnPc and prevents its aggregation inside MSNPs, ZnPc exhibits its monomeric characteristics to effectively generate cytotoxic singlet oxygen ((1)O2) upon light irradiation (675 nm) in aqueous conditions, leading to efficient photodynamic activity for successful cancer treatment in vitro. Current research presents a convenient approach to maintain the monomeric state of hydrophobic photosensitizer ZnPc by rationally utilizing multifunctional MSNPs as the carriers. The novel hybrid with targeting capability achieves active photodynamic property of monomeric ZnPc in aqueous solution under light irradiation, which may find its way for practical photodynamic therapy in the future. PMID:24313634

Nanogold functionalized mesoporouscarbon foam (Au/MCF) coupling with a signal amplification by C-Au synergistic silver enhancement was designed for sensitive electrochemical immunosensing of biomarker. The Au/MCF was prepared by in situ growth of nanogold on carboxylated MCF and used as a tracing tag to label signal antibody via the inherent interaction between protein and nanogold. The immunosensor was prepared by covalently immobilizing capture antibody on an electrochemically reduced graphene oxide/chitosan film modified glassy carbon electrode. Through a sandwich-type immunoreaction, Au/MCF tags were captured on the immunoconjugates to induce a silver deposition process. The electrochemical stripping signal of the deposited silver was used to monitor the immunoreaction. The Au/MCF-mediated silver enhancement along with the graphene-promoted electron transfer led to high detection sensitivity of carcinoembryonic antigen. Under optimal conditions, the proposed immunoassay method showed wide linear range from 0.05 pg mL(-1) to 1 ng mL(-1) and a detection limit down to 0.024 pg mL(-1). The newly designed amplification strategy holds great potential for ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensing of other analytes. PMID:24041661

In oil sands mining extraction, water is an essential component; however, the processed water becomes contaminated through contact with the bitumen at high temperature, and a portion of it cannot be recycled and ends up in tailing ponds. The removal of naphthenic acids (NAs) from tailing pond water is crucial, as they are corrosive and toxic and provide a substrate for microbial activity that can give rise to methane, which is a potent greenhouse gas. In this study, the conversion of sawdust into an activatedcarbon (AC) that could be used to remove NAs from tailings water was studied. After producing biochar from sawdust by a slow-pyrolysis process, the biochar was physically activated using carbon dioxide (CO2) over a range of temperatures or prior to producing biochar, and the sawdust was chemically activated using phosphoric acid (H3PO4). The physically activatedcarbon had a lower surface area per gram than the chemically activatedcarbon. The physically produced ACs had a lower surface area per gram than chemically produced AC. In the adsorption tests with NAs, up to 35 mg of NAs was removed from the water per gram of AC. The chemically treated ACs showed better uptake, which can be attributed to its higher surface area and increased mesopore size when compared with the physically treated AC. Both the chemically produced and physically produced AC provided better uptake than the commercially AC. PMID:24766592

N-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanorods were fabricated by a modified and facile sol-gel approach without any templates. Ammonium nitrate was used as a raw source of N dopants, which could produce a lot of gasses such as N2, NO2, and H2O in the process of heating samples. These gasses were proved to be vitally important to form the special mesoporous structure. The samples were characterized by the powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, nitrogen adsorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectra. The average length and the cross section diameter of the as-prepared samples were ca. 1.5 μm and ca. 80 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The N-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanorods showed an excellent photocatalytic activity, which may be attributed to the enlarged surface area (106.4 m2 g-1) and the narrowed band gap (2.05 eV). Besides, the rod-like photocatalyst was found to be easy to recycle. PMID:24428848

N-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanorods were fabricated by a modified and facile sol–gel approach without any templates. Ammonium nitrate was used as a raw source of N dopants, which could produce a lot of gasses such as N2, NO2, and H2O in the process of heating samples. These gasses were proved to be vitally important to form the special mesoporous structure. The samples were characterized by the powder X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectrometer, nitrogen adsorption isotherms, scanning electron microscopy, transmission electron microscopy, and UV-visible absorption spectra. The average length and the cross section diameter of the as-prepared samples were ca. 1.5 μm and ca. 80 nm, respectively. The photocatalytic activity was evaluated by photodegradation of methylene blue (MB) in aqueous solution. The N-doped mesoporous TiO2 nanorods showed an excellent photocatalytic activity, which may be attributed to the enlarged surface area (106.4 m2 g-1) and the narrowed band gap (2.05 eV). Besides, the rod-like photocatalyst was found to be easy to recycle. PMID:24428848

Graphical abstract: Effect of mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MCM-41) on the activator generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization (AGET ATRP) is investigated. Decrement of conversion and number average molecular weight and also increment of polydispersity index (PDI) values are three main results of addition of MCM-41 nanoparticles. Incorporation of MCM-41 nanoparticles in the polystyrene matrix can clearly increase thermal stability and decrease glass transition temperature of the nanocomposites. - Highlights: • Spherical morphology, hexagonal structure, and high surface area with regular pore diameters of the synthesized MCM-41 nanoparticles are examined. • AGET ATRP of styrene in the presence of MCM-41 nanoparticles is performed. • Effect of MCM-41 nanoparticles addition on the polymerization rate, conversion and molecular weights of the products are discussed. • Improvement in thermal stability of the nanocomposites and decreasing T{sub g} values was also observed by incorporation of MCM-41 nanoparticles. - Abstract: Activator generated by electron transfer for atom transfer radical polymerization was employed to synthesize well-defined mesoporous silica nanoparticles/polystyrene composites. Inherent features of spherical mesoporous silica nanoparticles were evaluated by nitrogen adsorption/desorption isotherm, X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy analysis techniques. Conversion and molecular weight evaluations were carried out using gas and size exclusion chromatography respectively. By the addition of only 3 wt% mesoporous silica nanoparticles, conversion decreases from 81 to 58%. Similarly, number average molecular weight decreases from 17,116 to 12,798 g mol{sup −1}. However, polydispersity index (PDI) values increases from 1.24 to 1.58. A peak around 4.1–4.2 ppm at proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy results clearly confirms the living nature of the polymerization. Thermogravimetric

The surface features of two carbons of wood origin were compared. One sample was manufactured using phosphoric acid activation and the other using potassium hydroxide activation. To check the susceptibility to oxidation and the stability of the porous structure, the samples were oxidized with ammonium persulfate. Structural properties of carbons and their oxidized counterparts were determined using sorption of nitrogen. Surface acidity was evaluated using Boehm titration, potentiometric titration, inverse gas chromatography, and diffuse reflectance FTIR. It was demonstrated that, despite the same wood origin, the carbons significantly differ in their pore structure and surface chemistry. The carbon obtained using KOH activation is homogeneously microporous with high surface area around 2,300 m{sup 2}/g (BET). On the other hand, the carbon manufactured using phosphoric acid contains a high volume of mesopores and its surface area is significantly lower. The carbons also differ in their surface chemistry and susceptibility to oxidation.

In the present study the effects of the duration of carbonization and physical activation properties of activatedcarbon from vegetable materials were investigated. Peanut shells were used to obtain activecarbon. These shells were activated chemically with ZnCl{sub 2} and/or CO{sub 2} for different times, and the micropore structures of these activecarbons were studied by measuring the adsorption isotherms for nitrogen and some hydrocarbons such as benzene, n-butane, isobutane, 2,2-dimethylbutane, and isooctane. As the physical activation time was increased, the primary micropores, which were measured at 0.01 relative pressure, were reduced, and they were replaced by larger secondary and tertiary micropores which were measured at 0.15--0.01 and 0.30--0.15 relative pressures. The ratios of the mesopore volume to the micropore volume also increased as the duration of physical activation increased.

The activity of certain proteolytic enzymes is often an indicator of disease states such as cancer, stroke and neurodegeneracy, so there is a need for rapid assays that can characterize the kinetics and substrate specificity of enzymatic reactions. Nanostructured membranes can efficiently separate biomolecules, but coupling a sensitive detection method to such a membrane remains difficult. Here, we demonstrate a single mesoporous nanoreactor that can isolate and quantify in real time the reaction products of proteases. The reactor consists of two layers of porous films electrochemically prepared from crystalline silicon. The upper layer, with large pore sizes (~100 nm in diameter), traps the protease and acts as the reactor. The lower layer, with smaller pore sizes (~6 nm), excludes the proteases and other large proteins and captures the reaction products. Infiltration of the digested fragments into the lower layer produces a measurable change in optical reflectivity, and this allows label-free quantification of enzyme kinetics in real time within a volume of ~5 nl.

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticle (HMSN) has recently gained increasing interests due to their tremendous potential as an attractive nano-platform for cancer imaging and therapy. However, possibly due to the lack of efficient in vivo targeting strategy and well-developed surface engineering techniques, engineering of HMSN for in vivo active tumor targeting, quantitative tumor uptake assessment, multimodality imaging, biodistribution and enhanced drug delivery have not been achieved to date. Here, we report the in vivo tumor targeted positron emission tomography (PET)/near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dual-modality imaging and enhanced drug delivery of HMSN using a generally applicable surface engineering technique. Systematic in vitro and in vivo studies have been performed to investigate the stability, tumor targeting efficacy and specificity, biodistribution and drug delivery capability of well-functionalized HMSN nano-conjugates. The highest uptake of TRC105 (which binds to CD105 on tumor neovasculature) conjugated HMSN in the 4T1 murine breast cancer model was ~10%ID/g, 3 times higher than that of the non-targeted group, making surface engineered HMSN a highly attractive drug delivery nano-platform for future cancer theranostics. PMID:24875656

Hollow mesoporous silica nanoparticle (HMSN) has recently gained increasing interests due to their tremendous potential as an attractive nano-platform for cancer imaging and therapy. However, possibly due to the lack of efficient in vivo targeting strategy and well-developed surface engineering techniques, engineering of HMSN for in vivo active tumor targeting, quantitative tumor uptake assessment, multimodality imaging, biodistribution and enhanced drug delivery have not been achieved to date. Here, we report the in vivo tumor targeted positron emission tomography (PET)/near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) dual-modality imaging and enhanced drug delivery of HMSN using a generally applicable surface engineering technique. Systematic in vitro and in vivo studies have been performed to investigate the stability, tumor targeting efficacy and specificity, biodistribution and drug delivery capability of well-functionalized HMSN nano-conjugates. The highest uptake of TRC105 (which binds to CD105 on tumor neovasculature) conjugated HMSN in the 4T1 murine breast cancer model was ~10%ID/g, 3 times higher than that of the non-targeted group, making surface engineered HMSN a highly attractive drug delivery nano-platform for future cancer theranostics. PMID:24875656

Graphical abstract: Display Omitted Highlights: ► Mesoporous-assembled TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals were synthesized by modified sol–gel process. ► Urea–glycerol mixtures were applied as mixed mesopore-controlling agents. ► Urea and glycerol contents affected physicochemical properties of synthesized TiO{sub 2}. ► Photocatalytic H{sub 2} production activity also depended on urea and glycerol contents. ► 75 mol% urea and 25 mol% glycerol yielded the most photocatalytically active TiO{sub 2}. -- Abstract: In this work, the mesoporous-assembled TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal photocatalysts were successfully synthesized by a sol–gel process with the aid of urea–glycerol mixtures used as mixed mesopore-controlling agents. The photocatalytic activity of the synthesized mesoporous-assembled TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal photocatalysts was investigated for hydrogen production from the water splitting reaction using methanol as a hole scavenger under UV light irradiation. The synthesized TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal photocatalysts were systematically characterized by TG–DTA, N{sub 2} adsorption–desorption, SEM, high resolution TEM, and XRD analyses. The characterization results showed that the well-controlled contents of urea and glycerol in a urea–glycerol mixture at 75 mol% urea and 25 mol% glycerol resulted in not only the most highly porous network (i.e. the highest specific surface area and total pore volume, and the smallest mean mesopore diameter), but also the smallest crystallite size of the synthesized TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal photocatalyst. The photocatalytic reaction results, hence, revealed a much superior photocatalytic hydrogen production activity of the mesoporous-assembled TiO{sub 2} nanocrystal synthesized with 75 mol% urea and 25 mol% glycerol to the other synthesized TiO{sub 2} nanocrystals, also being much higher than those of the commercially available P-25 TiO{sub 2} and ST-01 TiO{sub 2} powders.

A novel, three-step process for the production of high-quality activatedcarbons from macadamia nut shell and coconut shell charcoals is described. In this process the charcoal is (1) heated to a high temperature (carbonized), (2) oxidized in air following a stepwise heating program from low (ca. 450 K) to high (ca. 660 K) temperatures (oxygenated), and (3) heated again in an inert environment to a high temperature (activated). By use of this procedure, activatedcarbons with surface areas greater than 1,000 m{sub 2}/g are manufactured with an overall yield of 15% (based on the dry shell feed). Removal of carbon mass by the development of mesopores and macropores is largely responsible for increases in the surface area of the carbons above 600 m{sub 2}/g. Thus, the surface area per gram of activatedcarbon can be represented by an inverse function of the yield for burnoffs between 15 and 60%. These findings are supported by mass-transfer calculations and pore-size distribution measurements. A kinetic model for gasification of carbon by oxygen, which provides for an Eley-Rideal type reaction of a surface oxide with oxygen in air, fits the measured gasification rates reasonably well over the temperature range of 550--660 K.

We have previously reported that organophosphorus hydrolase (OPH) can be spontaneously entrapped in functionalized mesoporous silica (FMS) with HOOC - as the functional groups and the entrapped OPH in HOOC-FMS showed enhanced enzyme specific activity. This work is to study the mechanisms that why OPH entrapped in FMS displayed the enhanced activity in views of OPH-FMS interactions using spectroscopic methods. The circular dichroism (CD) spectra show that, comparing to the secondary structure of OPH free in solution, OPH in HOOC-FMS displayed increased a-helix/b-strand transition of OPH with increased OPH loading density. The fluorescence emission spectra of Trp residues were used to assess the tertiary structural changes of the enzyme. There was a 42% increase in fluorescence. This is in agreement with the fact that the fluorescence intensity of OPH was increased accompanying with the increased OPH activity when decreasing urea concentrations in solution. The steady-state anisotropy was increased after OPH entrapping in HOOC-FMS comparing to the free OPH in solution, indicating that protein mobility was reduced upon entrapment. The solvent accessibility of Trp residues of OPH was probed by using acrylamide as a collisional quencher. Trp residues of OPH-FMS had less solvent exposure comparing with free OPH in solution due to its electrostatical binding to HOOC-FMS thereby displaying the increased fluorescence intensity. These results suggest the interactions of OPH with HOOC-FMS resulted in the protein immobilization and a favorable conformational change for OPH in the crowded confinement space and accordingly the enhanced activity.

Cow dung is one of the most abundant wastes generated on earth and has been traditionally used as fertilizer and fuel in most of the developing countries. In this study activatedcarbon is synthesized from cow dung by a modified chemical activation method, where partially carbonized cow dung is treated with KOH in different ratio. The synthesized activatedcarbon possesses irregular surface morphology with high surface area in the range of 1500-2000 m2 g-1 with proper amount of micropore and mesopore volume. In particular, we demonstrate that the surface morphology and porosity parameters change with increase in KOH ratio. These activatedcarbons are tested as electrode material in two-electrode symmetric supercapacitor system in non-aqueous electrolyte and found to exhibit high specific capacitance with excellent retention of it at high current density and for long term operation. In particular, the activatedcarbon synthesized at 2:1 ratio of KOH and the pre-carbonized char shows the best performance with specific capacitance of 124 F g-1 at 0.1 A g-1 and retains up to 117 F g-1 at 1.0 A g-1 current density. The performance is attributed to high surface area along with optimum amount of micropore and mesopore volume.

Activatedcarbon is applied to separate proteins based on differences in their size and effective charge. Three guidelines are suggested for the efficient separation of proteins with activatedcarbon. (1) Activatedcarbon can be used to efficiently remove smaller proteinaceous impurities from larger proteins. (2) Smaller proteinaceous impurities are most efficiently removed at a solution pH close to the impurity's isoelectric point, where they have a minimal effective charge. (3) The most efficient recovery of a small protein from activatedcarbon occurs at a solution pH further away from the protein's isoelectric point, where it is strongly charged. Studies measuring the binding capacities of individual polymers and proteins were used to develop these three guidelines, and they were then applied to the separation of several different protein mixtures. The ability of activatedcarbon to separate proteins was demonstrated to be broadly applicable with three different types of activatedcarbon by both static treatment and by flowing through a packed column of activatedcarbon. PMID:24898563

Novel ionic liquid derived ordered mesoporouscarbons functionalized with sulfonic acid groups IOMC-ArSO3H and GIOMC-ArSO3H were prepared, characterized, and examined in the dehydration reaction of fructose into 5-hydroxymethylfurfural (5-HMF) both in aqueous and nonaqueous systems. To study and correlate the surface properties of these carbocatalysts and some other SBA-15 typed solid acids with 5-HMF yield, hydrophilicity index (H-index) were employed in the fructose dehydration. Our study systematically declared that almost a criterion may be expected for application of solid acids in which by increasing H-index value up to 0.8 the HMF yield enhances accordingly. More increase in H-index up to 1.3 did not change the HMF yield profoundly. Although, it has been shown that the catalyst with larger H-index (∼1.3) resulted in higher activity both in aqueous and 2-propanol systems, during the recycling process deactivation occurs because of more water uptake and the catalysts with optimum amount of H-index (∼0.8) is more robust in the dehydration of fructose. PMID:26259108

Corn stalks char from fast pyrolysis was activated by physical and chemical activation process in a fluidized bed reactor. The structure and morphology of the carbons were characterized by N2 adsorption and SEM. Effects of activation time and activation agents on the structure of activationcarbon were investigated. The physically activatedcarbons with CO2 have BET specific surface area up to 880 m(2)/g, and exhibit microporous structure. The chemically activatedcarbons with H3PO4 have BET specific surface area up to 600 m(2)/g, and exhibit mesoporous structure. The surface morphology shows that physically activatedcarbons exhibit fibrous like structure in nature with long ridges, resembling parallel lines. Whereas chemically activatedcarbons have cross-interconnected smooth open pores without the fibrous like structure. PMID:24974241

The growth of multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNTs) was successfully achieved in the channels of three dimensional (3D) iron loaded mesoporous matrices (KIT-6) by employing catalytic chemical vapour deposition (CCVD) technique. The synthesised MWNTs, which were characterised by SEM, TEM and Raman spectroscopy, consist of thick graphene layers of about 10 nm composed of 29 graphene sheets with inner and outer diameter of ∼17 nm and ∼37 nm, respectively. The Raman spectrum showed the formation of well-graphitised MWNTs with significantly higher IG/ID ratio of 1.47 compared to commercial MWNTs. Comparatively, 2 wt% Fe loaded KIT-6 material produced a better yield of 91%, which is also highest compared with the report of MWNTs synthesis using mesoporous materials reported so far.

Bamboo chars and bamboo activatedcarbons prepared by steam activation were applied for ink wastewater treatment. Bamboo char at 800 °C was the best for the removal of color and chemical oxygen demand (COD) from ink wastewater compared to bamboo chars at 300 to 700 °C due to higher surface area and mesopore volume. Bamboo activatedcarbon at 600 °C (S600) was the best compared to bamboo activatedcarbon at 800 °C (S800), although S800 had larger surface area (1108 m(2)/g) than S600 (734 m(2)/g). S600 had higher mesopore volume (0.20 cm(3)/g) than S800 (0.16 cm(3)/g) and therefore achieved higher color and COD removal. All bamboo activatedcarbons showed higher color and COD removal efficiency than commercial activatedcarbon. In addition, S600 had the superior adsorption capacity for methylene blue (0.89 mmol/g). Therefore, bamboo is a suitable material to prepare adsorbents for removal of organic pollutants. PMID:26803031

The present paper presents the novel use of MC microparticles (MCMPs) as a novel fluorescent sensing platform for thrombin detection. The MCMPs were prepared by a nanocasting method using mesoporous silica (MS) NPs as a hard template. The general concept used in this approach lies in the facts that the non-covalent adsorption of the dye-labeled TA on MCMP driven by π-π stacking of DNA bases on MCMP leads to substantial quenching of dye fluorescence due to their very close proximity. However, the presence of target TB results in the change of TA conformation to quadruplex due to the quadruplex-TB complex formation. Because the binding between the complex and MCMP is not strong enough to guarantee the close proximity of dyes to MCMP surface, fluorescence quenching is suppressed. This sensing system has a low detection limit down to 0.25 nM and exhibits excellent selectivity. We also demonstrate its application in human blood serum system. PMID:21440431

In this work we have determined the room temperature electrochemical reactivity of SnO2 thin films and mesoporouscarbons filled with SnO2 anodes with Na, and compare the results with those obtained during the reaction with Li. We show that SnO2 can reversibly deliver up to 6.2 Li/SnO2 whereas the reaction with Na is significantly limited. The initial discharge capacity is equivalent to less than 4 Na/SnO2, which is expected to correspond to the formation of 2 Na2O and Sn. This limited discharge capacity suggests the negative role of the formed Na2O matrix upon the reversible reaction of Sn clusters. Moreover,more » the reversible cycling of less than 1 Na/SnO2, despite the utilization of 6-7 nm SnO2 particles, is indicative of sluggish reaction kinetics. The origin of this significant capacity reduction is likely due to the formation of a diffusion limiting interface. Furthermore, there is a larger apparent hysteresis compared to Li. These results point to the need to design composite structures of SnO2 nanoparticles with suitable morphological and conductivity components.« less

Carbon nanofiber/Mn3O4 (CNF/Mn3O4) coaxial nanocables with a three-dimensional (3D) structure are prepared for lithium ion batteries by electrophoretic deposition on an electrospun CNF cathode followed by heat treatment in air. The bark-like Mn3O4 shell with a thickness of 30 nm surrounds the CNFs with a diameter of 200 nm; this hierarchically mesoporous Mn3O4 shell consisted of interconnected nanoparticles grows radially toward the CNF core when viewed from the cross-section of the coaxial cables. The charge transfer resistance of the CNF/Mn3O4 is much smaller than that of the Mn3O4 powder, because of (i) the abundant inner spaces provided via the formation of the 3D coaxial core/shell nanocables, (ii) the high electric pathway for the Mn3O4 nanoparticles attained with the 1D CNFs, and (iii) the structural stability obtained through the cushioning effect created by the CNF/Mn3O4 coaxial morphology. These unique characteristics contribute to achieving a high capacity, excellent cyclic stability, and good rate capability. The CNF/Mn3O4 nanocables deliver an initial capacity of 1690 mAh g-1 at a current density of 100 mA g-1 and maintain a high reversible capacity of 760 mAh g-1 even after 50 charge-discharge cycles without showing any obvious decay.

A novel trinuclear cobalt-oxo cluster 2[Co3O(Ac)6(H2O)3]·H2O (Co-OXO) has been obtained and characterized by X-ray single-crystal diffraction and elemental analysis. The structure of Co-OXO displays 3D supramolecular networks through hydrogen bonds and generates boron nitride (bnn) topology. Co-OXO was further used as a precursor to synthesize Co-containing mesoporouscarbon foams (Co-MCFs), which exhibit highly ordered mesostructure with specific surface area of 614 m2 g-1 and uniform pore size of 2.7 nm. Charge-discharge tests show that the specific discharge capacitance of Co-MCFs is 7% higher than that of the MCFs at the current density of 100 mA g-1, and 26% higher than that of MCFs at the current density of 3 A g-1. The electrochemical behaviors of Co-MCFs are obviously improved due to the improved wettability, increased graphitization degree and the pseudo-capacitance through additional faradic reactions arising from cobalt.

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery faces a couple of major problems in practical applications, including the low conductivity of sulfur and the dissolution of polysulfides. A cathode constructed using a composite of sulfur and ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) is a promising solution to both problems, as OMCs can have high conductivity and a complex pore structure to trap polysulfides. In this work, we demonstrate that performance of the Li-S battery can be significantly enhanced by using an OMC with a high degree of graphitization and a pore network with cubic symmetry. This graphitic OMC (GOMC) can be produced in a single step using iron phthalocyanine precursor and a silica template with cubic Ia3d symmetry. The GOMC-sulfur (GOMC/S) composite is 175% higher in electrical conductivity compared to the typical OMC-sulfur (OMC/S) composite. In addition, the three-dimensional pore network in GOMC prevents the migration of dissolved polysulfides. These characteristics of GOMC contribute to the improved rate capability and cyclability of the corresponding Li-S battery.

The lithium-sulfur (Li-S) battery faces a couple of major problems in practical applications, including the low conductivity of sulfur and the dissolution of polysulfides. A cathode constructed using a composite of sulfur and ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) is a promising solution to both problems, as OMCs can have high conductivity and a complex pore structure to trap polysulfides. In this work, we demonstrate that performance of the Li-S battery can be significantly enhanced by using an OMC with a high degree of graphitization and a pore network with cubic symmetry. This graphitic OMC (GOMC) can be produced in a single step using iron phthalocyanine precursor and a silica template with cubic Ia3d symmetry. The GOMC-sulfur (GOMC/S) composite is 175% higher in electrical conductivity compared to the typical OMC-sulfur (OMC/S) composite. In addition, the three-dimensional pore network in GOMC prevents the migration of dissolved polysulfides. These characteristics of GOMC contribute to the improved rate capability and cyclability of the corresponding Li-S battery. PMID:26890309

An iron(II)phthalocyanine (Fepc) modified mesoporous titania (Fepc-TiO2) nanocatalyst with a specific surface area of 215 m(2) g(-1) has been synthesized by a hydrothermal method. Fepc-TiO2 degrades one of the highly toxic chemical warfare agents, sulfur mustard (SM), photocatalytically under sunlight with an exposure time of as low as 70 min. Furthermore, the mesoporous Fepc-TiO2 also captured 2.1 mmol g(-1) of CO2 at 273 K and 1 atm. PMID:26393761

In this work, the effects of different methods of activation on CO2 adsorption performance of activatedcarbon were studied. Activatedcarbons were prepared from biochar, obtained from fast pyrolysis of white wood, using three different activation methods of steam activation, CO2 activation and Potassium hydroxide (KOH) activation. CO2 adsorption behavior of the produced activatedcarbons was studied in a fixed-bed reactor set-up at atmospheric pressure, temperature range of 25-65°C and inlet CO2 concentration range of 10-30 mol% in He to determine the effects of the surface area, porosity and surface chemistry on adsorption capacity of the samples. Characterization of the micropore and mesopore texture was carried out using N2 and CO2 adsorption at 77 and 273 K, respectively. Central composite design was used to evaluate the combined effects of temperature and concentration of CO2 on the adsorption behavior of the adsorbents. The KOH activatedcarbon with a total micropore volume of 0.62 cm(3)/g and surface area of 1400 m(2)/g had the highest CO2 adsorption capacity of 1.8 mol/kg due to its microporous structure and high surface area under the optimized experimental conditions of 30 mol% CO2 and 25°C. The performance of the adsorbents in multi-cyclic adsorption process was also assessed and the adsorption capacity of KOH and CO2 activatedcarbons remained remarkably stable after 50 cycles with low temperature (160°C) regeneration. PMID:26257348

Activatedcarbon fibers (ACFs) were used to remove SO2 and NO from incineration flue gas. Three types of ACFs in their origin state and after pretreatment with HNO3, NaOH, and KOH were investigated. The removal efficiencies of SO2 and NO were determined experimentally at defined SO2 and NO concentrations and at temperatures of 150, 200 and 260 degrees C. Experimental results indicated that the removal efficiencies of SO2 and NO using the original ACFs were < 56% and < 27%, respectively. All ACFs modified with HNO3, NaOH, and KOH solution could increase the removal efficiencies of SO(2) and NO. The mesopore volumes and functional groups of ACFs are important in determining the removal of SO2 and NO. When the mesopore volumes of the ACFs are insufficient for removing SO2 and NO, the functional groups on the ACFs are not important in determining the removal of SO2 and NO. On the contrary, the effects of the functional groups on the removal of SO2 and NO are more important than the mesopore volumes as the amount of mesopores on the ACFs is sufficient to remove SO2 and NO. Moreover, the removal efficiencies of SO2 and NO were greatest at 200 degrees C. When the inlet concentration of SO2 increased to 600 ppm, the removal efficiency of SO2 increased slightly and the removal efficiency of NO decreased. PMID:18083361

A universal strategy was developed for fabrication of a highly active and durable precious-metal-free mesoporous Mo2C/graphene (m-Mo2C/G) electrocatalyst with a two-dimensional layered structural feature via a nanocasting method using glucose as a carbon source and an in-stiu assembled mesoporous KIT-6/graphene (KIT-6/G) as a template. The m-Mo2C/G catalyst exhibits high catalytic activity and excellent durability for hydrogen evolution reaction (HER) over a wide pH range, which displays a small onset potential of 8 mV, owerpotential (η10) for driving a cathodic current density of 10 mA·cm(-2) of 135 mV, a Tafel slope of 58 mV·dec(-1), and an exchange current density of 6.31 × 10(-2) mA·cm(-2) in acidic media and an onset potential of of 41 mV, η10 of 128 mV, Tafel slope of 56 mV·dec(-1), and an exchange current density of 4.09 × 10(-2) mA·cm(-2) in alkaline media, respectively. Furthermore, such an m-Mo2C/G electrocatalyst also gives about 100% Faradaic yield and shows excellent durability during 3000 cycles of a long-term test, and the catalytic current remains stable over 20 h at fixed overpotentials, making it a great potential application prospect for energy issues. PMID:27334022

systematically investigation was started. For this a muffle furnace with a maximum temperature up to 1300 ° C is used. Furthermore the gaseous atmosphere can be controlled. So it is possible to carry out the trials with the absence of oxygen by purging with nitrogen, carbon oxide and/ or steam for example. With the addition of steam the number of mesopores is increased. These pores are responsible for the adsorption performance in liquid phases. The trials for the TCR® chars made from beech wood (reference) and digestate are currently carried out. Additionally the reduction of the ash content of the char by using hydrochloric and acetic acid is investigated, too. These leaching tests are carried out in a lab scale test rig at an operating temperature of 60 ° C and a residence time up to 4 hours. The main objective is to adapt the TCR® process with regard to an optimized activatedcarbon production from biogenic residues to obtain an economic sustainable concept.

TiO2 has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. However, its poor rate capability originating from the intrinsically low lithium ion diffusivity and its poor electronic conductivity hampers putting such an application into practice. Both issues can be addressed by nanostructure engineering and conductive surface coating. Herein, we report a template-assisted synthesis of micron sized TiO2 fibers consisting of a mesoporous network of anatase nanoparticles of about 7.5 nm and coated by N doped carbon. In a first step, an amorphous layer of TiO2 was deposited on cobalt silicate nanobelts and subsequently transformed into crystalline anatase nanoparticles by hydrothermal treatment. The N doped carbon coating was realized by in situ polymerization of dopamine on the crystalline TiO2 followed by annealing under N2. After removal of the template, we obtained the final mesoporous TiO2 fibers@N doped carbon composite. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composite electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical properties in terms of specific capacity, rate performance and long term stability.TiO2 has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. However, its poor rate capability originating from the intrinsically low lithium ion diffusivity and its poor electronic conductivity hampers putting such an application into practice. Both issues can be addressed by nanostructure engineering and conductive surface coating. Herein, we report a template-assisted synthesis of micron sized TiO2 fibers consisting of a mesoporous network of anatase nanoparticles of about 7.5 nm and coated by N doped carbon. In a first step, an amorphous layer of TiO2 was deposited on cobalt silicate nanobelts and subsequently transformed into crystalline anatase nanoparticles by hydrothermal treatment. The N doped carbon coating was realized by in situ polymerization of dopamine on the crystalline TiO2 followed by annealing under N2. After

In this study, a type of intracellular redox-triggered hollow mesoporous silica nanoreservoirs (HMSNs) with tumor specificity was developed in order to deliver anticancer drug (i.e., doxorubicin (DOX)) to the target tumor cells with high therapeutic efficiency and reduced side effects. Firstly, adamantanamine was grafted onto the orifices of HMSNs using a redox-cleavable disulfide bond as an intermediate linker. Subsequently, a synthetic functional molecule, lactobionic acid-grafted-β-cyclodextrin (β-CD-LA), was immobilized on the surface of HMSNs through specific complexation with the adamantyl group, where β-CD served as an end-capper to keep the loaded drug within HMSNs. β-CD-LA on HMSNs could also act as a targeting agent towards tumor cells (i.e., HepG2 cells), since the lactose group in β-CD-LA is a specific ligand binding with the asialoglycoprotein receptor (ASGP-R) on HepG2 cells. In vitro studies demonstrated that DOX-loaded nanoreservoirs could be selectively endocytosed by HepG2 cells, releasing therapeutic DOX into cytoplasm and efficiently inducing the apoptosis and cell death. In vivo investigations further confirmed that DOX-loaded nanoreservoirs could permeate into the tumor sites and actively interact with tumor cells, which inhibited the tumor growth with the minimized side effect. On the whole, this drug delivery system exhibits a great potential as an efficient carrier for targeted tumor therapy in vitro and in vivo. PMID:24930850

Mesoporous Pd nanoparticles (MPNs) enclosed by high-index facets have been successfully prepared by taking advantage of successive oxygen adsorption and desorption caused by the oxidative etching effect. The as-prepared MPNs exhibit excellent performance toward formic acid electro-oxidation, which is due to the synergetic effect between the diffusion-feasible tubular mesochannels and the high index facets. PMID:26577468

A novel and facile two-step strategy is successfully developed for the large-scale fabrication of hierarchical mesoporous CoFe2O4 nanowire arrays (NWAs) on flexible carbon fabric as integrated anodes for highly efficient and reversible lithium storage. The synthesis involves the co-deposition of uniform bimetallic (Co, Fe) carbonate hydroxide hydrate precursor NWAs on carbon fabric and subsequent thermal transformation to spinel CoFe2O4 without damaging the morphology. The as-prepared CoFe2O4 nanowires have unique mesoporous structures, which are constructed by many interconnected nanocrystals with sizes of about 15-20 nm. The typical size of the nanowires is in the range of 70-100 nm in width and up to several micrometers in length. Such a hybrid nanostructure electrode presented here not only simplifies electrode processing, but also promises fast electron transport/collection and ion diffusion, and withstands volume variation upon prolonged charge/discharge cycling. As a result, the binder-free CoFe2O4/carbon fabric composite exhibits a high reversible capacity of 1185.75 mA h g(-1) at a current density of 200 mA g(-1), and a superior rate capability. More importantly, a reversible capacity as high as ∼950 mA h g(-1) can be retained and there is no obvious decay after 150 cycles. PMID:26219540

Supercapacitors are considered to be the most promising approach to meet the pressing requirements for energy storage devices. The electrode materials for supercapacitors have close relationship with their electrochemical properties and thus become the key point to improve their energy storage efficiency. Herein, by using poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and ionic liquid as the dual templates, polyacrylonitrile as the carbon precursor, a flake-like carbon material was prepared by a direct carbonization method. In this method, poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) worked as the separator for the formation of isolated carbon flakes while aggregated ionic liquid worked as the pore template. The obtained carbon flakes exhibited a specific capacitance of 170 F/g at 0.1 A/g, a high energy density of 12.2 Wh/kg and a high power density of 5 kW/kg at the current of 10 A/g. It also maintained a high capacitance retention capability with almost no declination after 500 charge-discharge cycles. The ionic liquid directed method developed here also provided a new idea for the preparation of hierarchically porous carbon nanomaterials. PMID:26656464

Supercapacitors are considered to be the most promising approach to meet the pressing requirements for energy storage devices. The electrode materials for supercapacitors have close relationship with their electrochemical properties and thus become the key point to improve their energy storage efficiency. Herein, by using poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) and ionic liquid as the dual templates, polyacrylonitrile as the carbon precursor, a flake-like carbon material was prepared by a direct carbonization method. In this method, poly (vinylidene fluoride-co-hexafluoropropylene) worked as the separator for the formation of isolated carbon flakes while aggregated ionic liquid worked as the pore template. The obtained carbon flakes exhibited a specific capacitance of 170 F/g at 0.1 A/g, a high energy density of 12.2 Wh/kg and a high power density of 5 kW/kg at the current of 10 A/g. It also maintained a high capacitance retention capability with almost no declination after 500 charge-discharge cycles. The ionic liquid directed method developed here also provided a new idea for the preparation of hierarchically porous carbon nanomaterials. PMID:26656464

Partly ordered mesoporous titania films with anatase crystallites incorporated into the pore walls were prepared at low temperature by spin-coating a microemulsion-based reaction solution. The effect of relative humidity employed during aging of the prepared films was studied using SEM, TEM, and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering to evaluate the mesoscopic order, porosity, and crystallinity of the films. The study shows unambiguously that crystal growth occurs mainly during storage of the films and proceeds at room temperature largely depending on relative humidity. Porosity, pore size, mesoscopic order, crystallinity, and photocatalytic activity of the films increased with relative humidity up to an optimum around 75%.

Partly ordered mesoporous titania films with anatase crystallites incorporated into the pore walls were prepared at low temperature by spin-coating a microemulsion-based reaction solution. The effect of relative humidity employed during aging of the prepared films was studied using SEM, TEM, and grazing incidence small angle X-ray scattering to evaluate the mesoscopic order, porosity, and crystallinity of the films. The study shows unambiguously that crystal growth occurs mainly during storage of the films and proceeds at room temperature largely depending on relative humidity. Porosity, pore size, mesoscopic order, crystallinity, and photocatalytic activity of the films increased with relative humidity up to an optimum around 75%.

This article describes the response to pipeline spill of ethylene dichloride (EDC) on the property of an oil company. Activatedcarbon cleanup proceedure was used. During delivery, changeout, transport, storage, thermal reactivation, and return delivery to the site, the carbon never came into direct contact with operating personnel or the atmosphere. More than 10,000 tones of dredge soil and 50 million gallons of surface water were processed during the emergency response.

Mesoporous titania spheres were prepared by modified sol-gel method using chitosan/poly(vinyl alcohol) hydrogel beads as a template. Effects of calcination temperature on physical parameters were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), N2 adsorption-desorption, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectra, thermogravimetry and differential thermal analyses (TG-DTA), high-resolution transmission electron microscope (HRTEM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The photocatalytic activity of mesoporous titania spheres prepared was also evaluated by photocatalytic degradation of phenol as a model molecule under UV irradiation. With increasing calcination temperature, average crystallite size and pore size increased. In contrast, Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) specific surface areas, porosity and pore volumes steadily decreased. Results of characterization proved that prepared titania spheres with highly organized pores were mesoporous structure. The photocatalytic activity of mesoporous titania spheres calcined at 500 °C was more effective than those calcined at other temperatures, which were attributed to the porous structure, large BET surface area, crystalline, and smaller crystallite size. This work may provide new insights into the preparation of novel mesoporous titania spheres and further practical applications in the treatment of wastewater.

The present work reports preparation of ordered mesoporouscarbon (OMC) film supported on a graphite fiber as a new type of solid-phase microextraction (SPME) fiber for determination of benzene series from aqueous media. The strategy for the supported OMC film preparation was combined dip-coating technology with solvent evaporation-induced self-assembly (EISA) approach. A graphite fiber was immersed in an ethanol solution containing phenolic resin and Pluronic triblock copolymer. Upon solvent evaporation and subsequent pyrolysis under 700 °C, the phenolic resin and the surfactant self-assembled on the surface of the graphite fiber to form smooth OMC film. X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nitrogen isothermal adsorption results indicate that the resultant OMC film possesses well-ordered two dimensional hexagonal mesostructure with pore diameters of 4.5 nm and BET surfaces of 630 m(2)/g. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies show the supported OMC film with thickness at 8.5 μm is continuous and defect-free. The SPME efficiency of the OMC fiber was evaluated by analysis of five benzene series (benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, p-xylene and m-xylene) from water samples by gas chromatography-flame ionization detection (GC-FID). The analysis results indicate that the prepared OMC fiber has wide linear ranges (0.5-500 μg/L), low detection limits (0.01-0.05 μg/L) and good repeatabilities (4.0-5.8% for one fiber, 2.9-8.7% for fiber-to-fiber). Compared with commercial counterparts, the OMC fiber exhibits improved extraction efficiency for benzene series and PAHs. PMID:26320962

Waste tyres were pyrolysed in a bench scale reactor and the product chars were chemically activated with alkali chemical agents, KOH, K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 to produce waste tyre derived activatedcarbons. The activatedcarbon products were then examined in terms of their ability to adsorb NOx (NO) at low temperature (25°C) from a simulated industrial process flue gas. This study investigates the influence of surface area and porosity of the carbons produced with the different alkali chemical activating agents on NO capture from the simulated flue gas. The influence of varying the chemical activation conditions on the porous texture and corresponding NO removal from the flue gas was studied. The activatedcarbon sorbents were characterized in relation to BET surface area, micropore and mesopore volumes and chemical composition. The highest NO removal efficiency for the waste tyre derived activatedcarbons was ∼75% which was obtained with the adsorbent treated with KOH which correlated with both the highest BET surface area and largest micropore volume. In contrast, the waste tyre derived activatedcarbons prepared using K2CO3, NaOH and Na2CO3 alkali activating agents appeared to have little influence on NO removal from the flue gases. The results suggest problematic waste tyres, have the potential to be converted to activatedcarbons with NOx removal efficiency comparable with conventionally produced carbons. PMID:26856444

Porous carbon-based materials are commonly used to remove various organic and inorganic pollutants from gaseous and liquid effluents and products. In this study, the adsorption of dioxins on both activatedcarbons and multi-walled carbon nanotube was internally compared, via series of bench scale experiments. A laboratory-scale dioxin generator was applied to generate PCDD/Fs with constant concentration (8.3 ng I-TEQ/Nm(3)). The results confirm that high-chlorinated congeners are more easily adsorbed on both activatedcarbons and carbon nanotubes than low-chlorinated congeners. Carbon nanotubes also achieved higher adsorption efficiency than activatedcarbons even though they have smaller BET-surface. Carbon nanotubes reached the total removal efficiency over 86.8 % to be compared with removal efficiencies of only 70.0 and 54.2 % for the two other activatedcarbons tested. In addition, because of different adsorption mechanisms, the removal efficiencies of carbon nanotubes dropped more slowly with time than was the case for activatedcarbons. It could be attributed to the abundant mesopores distributed in the surface of carbon nanotubes. They enhanced the pore filled process of dioxin molecules during adsorption. In addition, strong interactions between the two benzene rings of dioxin molecules and the hexagonal arrays of carbon atoms in the surface make carbon nanotubes have bigger adsorption capacity. PMID:25728198

Mesoporousactivatedcarbons with high surface area were prepared from three waste polymers, i. e., tire rubber, polyvinyl chloride (PVC) and polyethyleneterephtalate (PET), by KOH activation. The adsorption/desorption characteristics of dyes (methylene blue and methyl orange) on the carbons were studied. The effects of pH, ionic strength and surface surfactants in the solution on the dye adsorption were also investigated. The results indicated that the carbons derived from PVC and PET exhibited high surface area of 2 666 and 2 831 m2 x g(-1). Their mesopore volume were as high as 1.06 and 1.30 cm3 g(-1), respectively. 98.5% and 97.0% of methylene blue and methyl orange were removed in 15 min by PVC carbon, and that of 99.5% and 95.0% for PET carbon. The Langmuir maximum adsorption capacity to these dyes was more than 2 mmol x g(-1), much higher than that of commercial activatedcarbon F400. Compared with Freundlich model, the adsorption data was fitted better by Langmiur model, indicating monolayer coverage on the carbons. The adsorption was highly dependent on solution pH, ionic strength and concentration of surface surfactants. The activatedcarbons exhibited higher adsorption to methylene blue than that of methyl orange, and it was very hard for both of the dyes to be desorbed. The observation in this study demonstrated that activatedcarbons derived from polymer waste could be effective adsorbents for the treatment of wastewater with dyes. PMID:22452203

The unique optical properties of gold nanorods (GNRs) have recently drawn considerable interest from those working in in vivo biomolecular sensing and bioimaging. Especially appealing in these applications is the plasmon-enhanced photoluminescence of GNRs induced by two-photon excitation at infrared wavelengths, owing to the significant penetration depth of infrared light in tissue. Unfortunately, many studies have also shown that often the intensity of pulsed coherent irradiation of GNRs needed results in irreversible deformation of GNRs, greatly reducing their two-photon luminescence (TPL) emission intensity. In this work we report the design, synthesis, and evaluation of mesoporous silica-encased gold nanorods (MS-GNRs) that incorporate photosensitizers (PSs) for two-photon-activated photodynamic therapy (TPA-PDT). The PSs, doped into the nano-channels of the mesoporous silica shell, can be efficiently excited via intra-particle plasmonic resonance energy transfer from the encased two-photon excited gold nanorod and further generates cytotoxic singlet oxygen for cancer eradication. In addition, due to the mechanical support provided by encapsulating mesoporous silica matrix against thermal deformation, the two-photon luminescence stability of GNRs was significantly improved; after 100 seconds of 800 nm repetitive laser pulse with the 30 times higher than average power for imaging acquisition, MS-GNR luminescence intensity exhibited ~260% better resistance to deformation than that of the uncoated gold nanorods. These results strongly suggest that MS-GNRs with embedded PSs might provide a promising photodynamic therapy for the treatment of deeply situated cancers via plasmonic resonance energy transfer. PMID:24955141

Mesoporous NiO nanosheets were directly grown on three-dimensional (3D) carbon cloth substrate, which can be used as binder-free anode for lithium-ion batteries (LIBs). These mesoporous nanosheets were interconnected with each other and forming a network with interval voids, which give rise to large surface area and efficient buffering of the volume change. The integrated hierarchical electrode maintains all the advantageous features of directly building two-dimensional (2D) nanostructues on 3D conductive substrate, such as short diffusion length, strain relaxation and fast electron transport. As the LIB anode, it presents a high reversible capacity of 892.6 mAh g−1 after 120 cycles at a current density of 100 mA g−1 and 758.1 mAh g−1 at a high charging rate of 700 mA g−1 after 150 cycles. As demonstrated in this work, the hierarchical NiO nanosheets/carbon cloth also shows high flexibility, which can be directly used as the anode to build flexible LIBs. The introduced facile and low-cost method to prepare NiO nanosheets on flexible and conductive carbon cloth substrate is promising for the fabrication of high performance energy storage devices, especially for next-generation wearable electronic devices. PMID:25491432

TiO2 has been considered as a promising anode material for lithium ion batteries. However, its poor rate capability originating from the intrinsically low lithium ion diffusivity and its poor electronic conductivity hampers putting such an application into practice. Both issues can be addressed by nanostructure engineering and conductive surface coating. Herein, we report a template-assisted synthesis of micron sized TiO2 fibers consisting of a mesoporous network of anatase nanoparticles of about 7.5 nm and coated by N doped carbon. In a first step, an amorphous layer of TiO2 was deposited on cobalt silicate nanobelts and subsequently transformed into crystalline anatase nanoparticles by hydrothermal treatment. The N doped carbon coating was realized by in situ polymerization of dopamine on the crystalline TiO2 followed by annealing under N2. After removal of the template, we obtained the final mesoporous TiO2 fibers@N doped carbon composite. Electrochemical tests revealed that the composite electrode exhibited excellent electrochemical properties in terms of specific capacity, rate performance and long term stability. PMID:26220269

Mesoporous anatase TiO2/carbon composite nanospheres (designated as meso-ATCCNs) were successfully synthesized via a facile soft-templated self-assembly followed by thermal treatment. Structural and morphological analyses reveal that the as-synthesized meso-ATCCNs are composed of primary TiO2 nanoparticles (∼5 nm), combined with in situ deposited carbon either on the surface or between the primary TiO2 nanoparticles. When cycled in an extended voltage window from 0.01 to 3.0 V, meso-ATCCNs exhibit excellent rate capabilities (413.7, 289.7, and 206.8 mAh g(-1) at 200, 1000, and 3000 mA g(-1), respectively) as well as stable cyclability (90% capacity retention over 500 cycles at 1000 mA g(-1)). Compared with both mesoporous TiO2 nanospheres and bulk TiO2, the superior electrochemical performance of the meso-ATCCNs electrode could be ascribed to a synergetic effect induced by hierarchical structure that includes uniform TiO2 nanoparticles, the presence of hydrothermal carbon derived from phenolic resols, a high surface area, and open mesoporosity. PMID:27442782

Mesoporous non-siliceous oxides have attracted great interest due to their unique properties and potential applications. Since the discovery of mesoporous silicates in 1990s, organic-inorganic assembly processes by using surfactants or block copolymers as soft templates have been considered as a feasible path for creating mesopores in metal oxides. However, the harsh sol-gel conditions and low thermal stabilities have limited the expansion of this method to various metal oxide species. Nanocasting, using ordered mesoporous silica or carbon as a hard template, has provided possibilities for preparing novel mesoporous materials with new structures, compositions and high thermal stabilities. This review concerns the synthesis, composition, and parameter control of mesoporous non-siliceous oxides. Four synthesis routes, i.e. soft-templating (surfactants or block copolymers as templates), hard-templating (mesoporous silicas or carbons as sacrificial templates), colloidal crystal templating (3-D ordered colloidal particles as a template), and super lattice routes, are summarized in this review. Mesoporous metal oxides with different compositions have different properties. Non-siliceous mesoporous oxides are comprehensively described, including a discussion of constituting elements, synthesis, and structures. General aspects concerning pore size control, atomic scale crystallinity, and phase control are also reviewed. PMID:23942521

Hydrothermally stable and structrurally ordered mesoporous and microporous aluminosilicates with different pore sizes have been synthesized to immobilize cytochrome c (cyt c): MAS-9 (pore size 90 A), MCM-48-S (27 A), MCM-41-S (25 A), and Y zeolites (7.4 A). The amount of cyt c adsorption could be increased by the introduction of aluminum into the framework of pure silica materials. Among these mesoprous silicas (MPS), MAS-9 showed the highest loading capacity due to its large pore size. However, cyt c immobilized in MAS-9 could undergo facile unfolding during hydrothermal treatments. MCM-41-S and MCM-48-S have the pore sizes that match well the size of cyt c (25 x 25 x 37 A). Hence the adsorbed cyt c in these two medium pore size MPS have the highest hydrothermal stability and overall catalytic activity. On the other hand, the pore size of NaY zeolite is so small that cyt c is mostly adsorbed only on the outer surface and loses its enzymatic activity rapidly. The improved stability and high catalytic activity of cyt c immobilized in MPS are attributed to the electrostatic attraction between the pore surface and cyt c and the confinement provided by nanochannels. We further observed that cyt c immobilized in MPS exists in both high and low spin states, as inferred from the ESR and UV-vis studies. This is different from the native cyt c, which shows primarily the low spin state. The high spin state arises from the replacement of Met-80 ligands of heme Fe (III) by water or silanol group on silica surface, which could open up the heme groove for easy access of oxidants and substrates to iron center and facilitate the catalytic activity. In the catalytic study, MAS-9-cyt c showed the highest specific activity toward the oxidation of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which arises from the fast mass transfer rate of reaction substrate due to its large pore size. For pinacyanol (a hydrophilic substrate), MCM-41-S-cyt c and MCM-48-S-cyt c showed higher specific

This study presents a facile electrochemical method for simultaneous and selective on-line detection of glucose and L-lactate in the striatum of anesthetic rats through the integration of selective electrochemical detection with in vivo microdialysis system. A positively-charged polyelectrolyte, (diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDDA), was attached onto carbonmesoporous material (CMM) through non-covalent interaction, which provided an ideal environment for the assembling and dispersion of nanoparticle electrocatalysts. Platinum nanoparticles with wide loadings from 5 to 50 wt% were successfully self-assembled on PDDA-functionalized CMM via electrostatic interaction. TEM results showed that with the increase in the Pt loadings, both the size and interconnectivity between particles increased, with particle sizes ranging from 3.2±0.4 to 6.8±1.4 nm. Moreover, the electrocatalytic activities of the as-prepared six Pt/PDDA-CMM hybrid nanocomposites were also observed to show an inverted-V-shaped profile as a function of loading amount of Pt NPs. Integrated with glucose oxidase (GOx), L-lactate oxidase (LOD) and the in vivo microdialysis system, the constructed dual oxidase/Pt/PDDA-CMM/Nafion biosensors were successfully applied for the simultaneous and on-line detection of glucose and L-lactate. After post-calibration, the basal level of glucose and L-lactate in the striatum of anesthetic rats was calculated to be 0.27±0.03 and 0.71±0.05 mM (mean ±s.d., n=3), respectively. What is more important, the dual oxidase biosensors almost suffered from little cross-talk, which is characteristic of an excellent sensor with high performance. This property, along with the good linearity and a high stability substantially enables this method promising application in physiology and pathology. PMID:23089326

Mesoporous molecular sieves MCM-41 and bulk 12-tungstophosphoric acid (HPW) were synthesized and employed to prepare 5-45 wt.% HPW/MCM-41 mesoporous materials. Characterization results suggested the good dispersion of HPW within MCM-41 when the loading of HPW was less than 35 wt.% and HPW/MCM-41 retained the typical mesopore structure of the supports. The results of the catalytic oxidation of benzaldehyde to benzoic acid with 30% H2O2, in the absence of any organic solvent and co-catalysts, indicated that HPW/MCM-41 was an efficient catalyst and 30 wt.% HPW/MCM-41 sample exhibited the highest catalytic activity among these materials.

Metal oxide materials have been widely used as gas-sensing platforms, and their sensing performances are largely dependent on the morphology and surface structure. Here, freestanding flower-like Co3O4 nanostructures supported on three-dimensional (3D) carbon foam (Co3O4@CF) were successfully synthesized by a facile and low-cost hydrothermal route and annealing procedure. The morphology and structure of the nanocomposites were studied by X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, energy-dispersive spectroscopy, and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The SEM characterizations showed that the skeleton of the porous carbon foam was fully covered by flower-like Co3O4 nanostructures. Moreover, each Co3O4 nanoflower is composed of densely packed nanoneedles with a length of ~10 μm, which can largely enhance the surface area (about 286.117 m(2)/g) for ethanol sensing. Gas sensor based on the as-synthesized 3D Co3O4@CF nanostructures was fabricated to study the sensing performance for ethanol at a temperature range from 180 to 360 °C. Due to the 3D porous structure and the improvement in sensing surface/interface, the Co3O4@CF nanostructure exhibited enhanced sensing performance for ethanol detection with low resistance, fast response and recovery time, high sensitivity, and limit of detection as low as 15 ppm at 320 °C. The present study shows that such novel 3D metal oxide/carbon hybrid nanostructures are promising platforms for gas sensing. PMID:25011608

The composition of anatase TiO2 was modified by codoping using combinations of a transition metal and nitrogen in order to increase its photocatalytic activity and extend it performance in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transition metals (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) were added during the hydrothermal preparation of mesoporous TiO2 particles, and the nitrogen was introduced by post-annealing in flowing ammonia gas at high temperature. The samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, BET, inductively-coupled plasma spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by observing the change in methylene blue concentrations under both UV-vis and visible-only light irradiation. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of the (Mn,N), (Co,N), (Cu,N), and Ni,N) codoped TiO2 was significantly enhanced relative to (N) TiO2.

The composition of anatase TiO2 was modified by codoping using combinations of a transition metal and nitrogen in order to increase its photocatalytic activity and extend it performance in the visible region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The transition metals (Mn, Co, Ni, Cu) were added during the hydrothermal preparation of mesoporous TiO2 particles, and the nitrogen was introduced by post-annealing in flowing ammonia gas at high temperature. The samples were analyzed by SEM, XRD, BET, inductively-coupled plasma spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance UV-vis spectroscopy. The photocatalytic activity was assessed by observing the change in methylene blue concentrations under both UV-vis andmore » visible-only light irradiation. As a result, the photocatalytic activity of the (Mn,N), (Co,N), (Cu,N), and Ni,N) codoped TiO2 was significantly enhanced relative to (N) TiO2.« less

Two types of activatedcarbons from tyre char (with or without sulphuric acid treatment) were produced via carbon dioxide activation with BET surface areas in the range 59-1118 m(2)/g. Other characterisation tests include micropore and mesopore surface areas and volumes, pH, and elemental compositions, particularly heteroatoms such as nitrogen and sulphur. They were correlated to the adsorption capacity which were in the range of 0.45-0.71 mmol/g (untreated) and 0.62-0.84 mmol/g (acid-treated) for Acid Blue 25. In the case of larger-sized molecules like Acid Yellow 117, capacities were in the range of 0.23-0.42 mmol/g (untreated) and 0.29-0.40 mmol/g (acid-treated). Some tyre carbons exhibit a more superior performance than a microporous, commercial activatedcarbon (Calgon F400). By modelling the dye adsorption equilibrium data, the Redlich-Peterson isotherm is adopted as it has the lowest SSE. Based on the surface coverage analysis, a novel molecular orientation modelling of adsorbed dyes has been proposed and correlated with surface area and surface charge. For the acid dyes used in this study, molecules were likely to be adsorbed by the mesopore areas. PMID:20416883

Hollow mesoporous nanomaterials have gained tremendous attention in the fields of nanomedicine and nanobiotechnology. Herein, n-perfluoropentane (PFP)-encapsulated hollow mesoporous Prussian blue (HPB) nanocubes (HPB-PFP) with excellent colloidal stability have been synthesized for concurrent in vivo tumor diagnosis and regression. The HPB shell shows excellent photothermal conversion efficiency that can absorb near-infrared (NIR) laser light and convert it into heat. The generated heat can not only cause tumor ablation by raising the temperature of tumor tissue but also promote the continuous gasification and bubbling of encapsulated liquid PFP with low boiling point. These formed PFP bubbles can cause tissue impedance mismatch, thus apparently enhancing the signal of B-mode ultrasound imaging in vitro and generating an apparent echogenicity signal for tumor tissues of nude mice in vivo. Without showing observable in vitro and in vivo cytotoxicity, the designed biocompatible HPB-PFP nanotheranostics with high colloidal stability and photothermal efficiency are anticipated to find various biomedical applications in activated ultrasound imaging-guided tumor detection and therapy. PMID:25646576

Germanium-based nanostructures are receiving intense interest in lithium-ion batteries because they have ultrahigh lithium ion storage ability. However, the Germanium-based anodes undergo the considerably large volume change during the charge/discharge processes, leading to a fast capacity fade. In the present work, a Ge/GeO2-ordered mesoporouscarbon (Ge/GeO2-OMC) nanocomposite was successfully fabricated via a facile nanocasting route by using mesoporouscarbon as a nanoreactor, and was then used as an anode for lithium-ion batteries. Benefited from its unique three-dimensional "meso-nano" structure, the Ge/GeO2-OMC nanocomposite exhibited large reversible capacity, excellent long-time cycling stability and high rate performance. For instance, a large reversible capacity of 1018 mA h g(-1) was obtained after 100 cycles at a current density of 0.1 A g(-1), which might be attributed to the unique structure of the Ge/GeO2-OMC nanocomposite. In addition, a reversible capacity of 492 mA h g(-1) can be retained when cycled to 500 cycles at a current density of 1 A g(-1). PMID:26651359

N-doped ordered mesoporouscarbon materials (NOMC) with 2D hexagonal symmetry structure were synthesized via a facile solid-solid grinding/templating route, in which the ionic liquids (ILs) of 1-cyanoethyl-3-methylimidazolium chloride and SBA-15 were employed as the precursor and hard template, respectively. The as-synthesized NOMC features with a uniform mesoporous size (3.5nm), ropes-like morphology (0.4-1μm in length) and high surface area (803m(2)/g). The quantitative analysis revealed the nitrogen content on the surface of NOMC is 5.5at%. Magnetic iron nanoparticles were successfully embedded into the carbon matrix by introducing iron chloride to the mixture of SBA-15 and ILs during the synthesis process. The NOMC-Fe composite possessed superior adsorption capacity of Cu(2+) ions (23.6mg/g). Kinetic and isothermal analysis demonstrated the strong interactions between Cu(2+) ion and the adsorbent. Furthermore, the composite was magnetically separable from solution under an external magnetic field and thus displayed a superior reusability in the recycling test. PMID:25072134

A structurally controllable fluorescence-labeled hollow mesoporouscarbon (HMC) was simply prepared to improve the oral bioavailability of insoluble drugs and further trace their delivery process in vivo. The hollow structure was derived from an inverse replica process using mesoporous silica as a template and the fluorescent label was prepared by doping the carboxylated HMC with a confinement of Eu3+/Gd3+-EDTA. The physicochemical properties of the composites were systematically characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra tests prior to studying their effects on drug-release behavior and biodistribution. As a result, the thickness of the carrier’s shell was adjusted from 70 nm to 130 nm and the maximum drug loading was up to 73.6%. The model drug carvedilol (CAR) showed sustained release behavior compared to CAR commercial capsules, and the dissolution rate slowed down as the shells got thicker. AUC0-48h and Tmax were enlarged 2.2 and 6.5 fold, respectively, which demonstrated that oral bioavailability was successfully improved. Bioimaging tests showed that the novel carbon vehicle had a long residence time in the gastrointestinal tract. In short, the newly designed HMC is a promising drug carrier for both oral bioavailability improvement and in vivo tracing.

A structurally controllable fluorescence-labeled hollow mesoporouscarbon (HMC) was simply prepared to improve the oral bioavailability of insoluble drugs and further trace their delivery process in vivo. The hollow structure was derived from an inverse replica process using mesoporous silica as a template and the fluorescent label was prepared by doping the carboxylated HMC with a confinement of Eu(3+)/Gd(3+)-EDTA. The physicochemical properties of the composites were systematically characterized by transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy and photoluminescence spectra tests prior to studying their effects on drug-release behavior and biodistribution. As a result, the thickness of the carrier's shell was adjusted from 70 nm to 130 nm and the maximum drug loading was up to 73.6%. The model drug carvedilol (CAR) showed sustained release behavior compared to CAR commercial capsules, and the dissolution rate slowed down as the shells got thicker. AUC0-48h and Tmax were enlarged 2.2 and 6.5 fold, respectively, which demonstrated that oral bioavailability was successfully improved. Bioimaging tests showed that the novel carbon vehicle had a long residence time in the gastrointestinal tract. In short, the newly designed HMC is a promising drug carrier for both oral bioavailability improvement and in vivo tracing. PMID:27334550

We demonstrate a facile, two-step coating/calcination approach to grow a uniform MnO nanoparticle@mesoporouscarbon (MnO@C) composite on conducting substrates, by direct coating of the Mn-oleate precursor solution without any conducting/binding reagents, and subsequent thermal calcination. The monodispersed, sub-10 nm MnO nanoparticles offer high theoretical energy storage capacities and catalytic properties, and the mesoporouscarbon coating allows for enhanced electrolyte transport and charge transfer towards/from MnO surface. In addition, the direct growth and attachment of the MnO@C nanocomposite in the supporting conductive substrates provide much reduced contact resistances and efficient charge transfer. These excellent features allow the use of MnO@C nanocomposites as lithium-ion battery and supercapacitor electrodes for energy storage, with high reversible capacity at large current densities, as well as excellent cycling and mechanical stabilities. Moreover, this MnO@C nanocomposite has also demonstrated a high sensitivity for H2O2 detection, and also exhibited attractive potential for the tumor cell analysis. PMID:24045767

Activatedcarbons were produced from several solid wastes, namely, waste PET, waste tires, refuse derived fuel and wastes generated during lactic acid fermentation from garbage. Activatedcarbons having various pore size distributions were obtained by the conventional steam-activation method and via the pre-treatment method (i.e., mixture of raw materials with a metal salt, carbonization and acid treatment prior to steam-activation) that was proposed by the authors. The liquid-phase adsorption characteristics of organic compounds from aqueous solution on the activatedcarbons were determined to confirm the applicability of these carbons, where phenol and a reactive dye, Black5, were employed as representative adsorbates. The hydrophobic surface of the carbons prepared was also confirmed by water vapor adsorption. The characteristics of a typical commercial activatedcarbon were also measured and compared. It was found that the activatedcarbons with plentiful mesopores prepared from PET and waste tires had quite high adsorption capacity for large molecules. Therefore they are useful for wastewater treatment, especially, for removal of bulky adsorbates. PMID:15026233

A simple and convenient one-pot synthetic route to directly prepare a self-reductive mesoporous copper-iron-silicate (CuO(x)-Fe-silicate)-based catalyst has been developed. The resultant catalyst is highly active and stable in methanol reforming without needing a pre-reduction procedure. PMID:21773606

Coconut shell-based activatedcarbon (AC) were prepared by CO2 activation, and then the ACs with higher mesopore ratio were obtained by steam activation and by impregnating iron catalyst followed by steam activation, respectively. The AC with the highest mesopore ratio (AChmr) shows superior capacitive behavior, power output and high-frequency performance in supercapacitors. The results should attribute to the connection of its wide micropores and mesopores larger than 3 nm, which is more favorable for fast ionic transportation. The pore size distribution exhibits that the mesopore ratios of the ACs are significantly increased by reactivation of steam or catalyst up to 75% and 78%, respectively. As evidenced by cyclic voltammetry, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and galvanostatic measurements, the AChmr shows superior capacitive behaviors, conductivity and performance of electrolytic ionic transportation. The response current densities are evidently enhanced through the cyclic voltammery test at 50 mV/sec scan rate. The electrochemical impedance spectroscopy demonstrates that the conductivity and ion transport performance of the ACs are improved. The specific capacitances of the ACs were increased from 140 to 240 F/g at 500 mA/g current density. The AChmr can provide much higher power density while still maintaining good energy density, and demonstrate excellent high-frequency performances. The pore structure and conductivity of the AChmr also improve the cycleability and self-discharge of supercapacitors. Such AChmr exhibits a great potential in supercapacitors, particularly for applications where high power output and good high-frequency capacitive performances are required. PMID:25078811

The core-shell Au@resorcinol-formaldehyde (RF) nanospheres with multiple cores have been successfully synthesized by a modified Stöber method. After coating mesoporous silica and the calcination, the Au@meso-SiO2 hollow nanospheres with multiple gold cores can be obtained, which have a high surface area (∼537 m(2)/g) and uniform pore size (∼2.5 nm). The Au@meso-SiO2 hollow nanospheres can be used as a catalyst for the reduction of 4-nitrophenol by NaBH4 into 4-aminophenol, and exhibit excellent catalytic performance. PMID:24935190

This project involved the synthesis of microporous graphitic-carbon powders with subnanometer average pore size, and very narrow pore size distributions, and the use of these materials in experimental studies of pore-fluid structure and dynamics. Samples of carbide-derived carbon powder, synthesized by extraction of the metal cations from TiC by a high temperature chlorination process, followed by high temperature vacuum annealing, were prepared by Ranjan Dash and his associates at CRADA partner Y-Carbon, Inc. The resulting material had average pore sizes ranging from 5 to 8 . These powders were used in two experiments conducted by researchers involved in the Energy Frontier Research Center Directed by David J. Wesolowski at ORNL, the Fluid Interface Reactions, Structures and Transport (FIRST) Center. FIRST-funded researchers at Drexel University collaborated with scientists at the Paul Scherrer Institute, Switzerland, to measure the expansion and contraction of the microporous carbon particles during charging and discharging of supercapactor electrodes composed of these particles (Hantell et al., 2011, Electrochemistry Communications, v. 13, pp. 1221-1224.) in an electrolyte composed of tetraethylammonium tetrafluoroborate dissolved in acetonitrile. In the second experiment, researchers at Oak Ridge National Laboratory and Drexel University conducted quasielastic neutron scattering studies of the diffusional dynamics of water imbibed into the micropores of the same material (Chathoth et al., 2011, EuroPhysics Journal, v. 95, pp. 56001/1-6). These studies helped to establish the role of pores approaching the size of the solvent and dissolved ions in altering diffusional dynamics, ion transport and physical response of conducting substrates to ion desolvation and entry into subnamometer pores.

Cedar wood was used as raw material for the preparation of activatedcarbons by treatment with hydrogen peroxide of different concentrations. The samples were next carbonised and activated under CO 2 atmosphere. The activatedcarbons were characterised by means of the adsorption isotherms of N 2 at 77 K, as well as by applying the Density Functional Theory (DFT) method and mercury porosimetry. The experimental results corresponding to the activated samples indicate a more remarkable porous development as a consequence of the treatment with hydrogen peroxide, probably due to the elimination of surface complexes produced during the activation step. The DFT diagrams point out that the activating treatment favours the development of medium and narrow-size micropores whereas the carbonisation process leads to the development of wide micropores of size close to that corresponding to mesopores.

The equilibrium and conversion-time data on the absorption of carbon dioxide (CO{sub 2}) with amine-based solid sorbent were analyzed over the range of 303–373 K. Data on CO{sub 2} loading on amine based solid sorbent at these temperatures and CO{sub 2} partial pressure between 10 and 760 mm Hg obtained from volumetric adsorption apparatus were fitted to a simple equilibrium model to generate the different parameters (including equilibrium constant) in the model. Using these constants, a correlation was obtained to define equilibrium constant and maximum CO{sub 2} loading as a function of temperature. In this study, a shrinking core model (SCM) was applied to elucidate the relative importance of pore diffusion and surface chemical reaction in controlling the rate of reaction. Application of SCM to the data suggested a surface reaction-controlled mechanism for the temperature of up to 40°C and pore-diffusion mechanism at higher temperature.

The photoconductivity is measured on a high-surface-area disordered carbon material, namely activatedcarbon fibers, to investigate their electronic properties. Measurements of decay time, recombination kinetics and temperature dependence of the photoconductivity generally reflect the electronic properties of a material. The material studied in this paper is a highly disordered carbon derived from a phenolic precursor, having a huge specific surface area of 1000--2000m{sup 2}/g. Our preliminary thermopower measurements suggest that this carbon material is a p-type semiconductor with an amorphous-like microstructure. The intrinsic electrical conductivity, on the order of 20S/cm at room temperature, increases with increasing temperature in the range 30--290K. In contrast with the intrinsic conductivity, the photoconductivity in vacuum decreases with increasing temperature. The recombination kinetics changes from a monomolecular process at room temperature to a biomolecular process at low temperatures. The observed decay time of the photoconductivity is {approx equal}0.3sec. The magnitude of the photoconductive signal was reduced by a factor of ten when the sample was exposed to air. The intrinsic carrier density and the activation energy for conduction are estimated to be {approx equal}10{sup 21}/cm{sup 3} and {approx equal}20meV, respectively. The majority of the induced photocarriers and of the intrinsic carriers are trapped, resulting in the long decay time of the photoconductivity and the positive temperature dependence of the conductivity.

We report on synthesis and electrochemical properties of a family of carbon-coated, mesoporous lithium titanate nanostructures (C@Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}). Synthesized using a scalable solvothermal approach employing low-cost petroleum pitch as the carbon source, the nanostructured C@Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12} materials manifest exceptional capacity to reversibly intercalate/de-intercalate lithium at both low and high charge rates. The combination of fast electrolyte and ion transport made possible in the inherently zero-strain material, Li{sub 4}Ti{sub 5}O{sub 12}, is thought to be responsible for our observations.

Reference electrodes are used in almost every electroanalytical measurement. Here, all-solid-state reference electrodes are described that employ colloid-imprinted mesoporous (CIM) carbon as solid contact and a poly(vinyl chloride) reference membrane to contact the sample. Such a reference membrane is doped with a moderately hydrophilic ionic liquid and a hydrophobic redox couple, leading to well-defined constant potentials at the interfaces of this membrane to the sample and to the solid contact, respectively. Due to the intrinsic properties of CIM carbon, reference electrodes with a CIM carbon solid contact exhibit excellent resistance to common interfering agents such as light and O2, with outstanding potential stability in continuous potentiometric measurements. The potential drift of CIM carbon-based reference electrodes without redox couple is as low as 1.7 μV/h over 110 h, making them the most stable all-solid-state reference electrodes reported so far. To demonstrate the compatibility of CIM carbon-based reference electrodes with miniaturized potentiometric systems, these reference electrodes were integrated into paper-based potentiometric sensing devices, successfully replacing the conventional reference electrode with its reference electrolyte solution. As a proof of concept, disposable paper-based Cl(-) sensing devices that contain stencil-printed Ag/AgCl-based Cl(-) selective electrodes and CIM carbon-based reference electrodes were constructed. These sensing devices are inexpensive, easy to use, and offer highly reproducible Cl(-) measurements with sample volumes as low as 10 μL. PMID:25630744

Mesoporous-titania (TiO{sub 2}) photocatalysts have been synthesized using polyethylene glycol (PEG) as a template in dilute acetic acid aqueous solution by hydrothermal process. The effect of PEG molecular weights and thermal treatment on the resultant structure and photocatalytic activity are investigated. Structural and phase compositional properties of the resultant photocatalysts are characterized by transmission electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and nitrogen sorption analysis. When the molecular weights of PEG vary from 600 to 20,000, the particle sizes of mesoporous structure decrease from 15.1 to 13.3 nm and mean pore sizes increase from 6.9 to 10.6 nm. The chemical reactions of the formation of mesoporous-TiO{sub 2} during its synthesis have been proposed and discussed. The activities of mesoporous-TiO{sub 2} photocatalysts are evaluated and compared with Degussa P-25 using chloro-phenol as a testing compound. The reaction mechanism of photodegradation is also described on the basis of high performance liquid chromatography.

We report a simple "one-pot" solvothermal preparation of silver nanoparticles (Ag NPs) decorated mesoporous titania (TiO2) microspheres as an effective antibacterial agent. TBOT as Ti source was hydrolyzed and crystallized in media composed of acetic acid and ethanol, in which esterification catalyzed by TBOT occurred for in-situ "controlled water release". AgNO3 as Ag source was reduced by ethanol to form Ag NPs embedded in the TiO2 microspheres. The effect of AgNO3 and HAc on the morphology of Ag/TiO2 was investigated. The Ag/TiO2 with various Ag content showed excellent antibacterial activities with extremely low minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and minimum bactericidal concentration (MBC) against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus when compared with colloidal Ag NPs. PMID:27157724

Over the last 20 years, the number of pathogenic multi-resistant microorganisms has grown steadily, which has stimulated the search for new strategies to combat antimicrobial resistance. Antimicrobial photodynamic therapy (aPDT), also called photodynamic inactivation, is emerging as a promising alternative to treatments based on conventional antibiotics. We have explored the effectiveness of methylene blue-loaded targeted mesoporous silica nanoparticles (MSNP) in the photodynamic inactivation of two Gram negative bacteria, namely Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. For E. co